England's last-16 World Cup tie against Mexico will kick off at 01:00 BST on Monday as originally scheduled, after FIFA held talks over a potential change due to severe weather threatening Mexico City. The decision means Thomas Tuchel's side will face the co-hosts under the cover of darkness in the UK, while the BBC prepares to offer fans a choice between staying up or catching up.
The broadcaster has launched a special 'Stay Up or Catch Up' offer for the match, which will be shown exclusively live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with Kelly Cates joined by Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards. For those unable to watch live, a full no-spoiler re-run will air on BBC Two from 07:10 BST, and an on-demand version will be available on iPlayer immediately after the match. There will also be live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds, alongside live text and in-match clips on the BBC Sport website and app, plus an extended 15-minute highlights programme on iPlayer and the BBC Sport Football YouTube channel. Fans can also follow the match live in 3D via BBC Sport's World Cup 3D experience.
“England's last-16 World Cup tie against Mexico stays at 1am BST as BBC offers 'Stay Up or Catch Up' for fans.”
"World Cup knockout football is absolutely unmissable, but a 1:00am kick-off isn't realistic for everyone," said BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski. "We wanted to make sure there was an option for those fans who just can't stay up to experience one of England's biggest matches live."
The late-night start follows England's dramatic 2-1 win over DR Congo in the round of 32, which drew a peak audience of 16.3 million and was watched on average by 14 million on BBC TV — the most watched moment on the BBC this year. After that match, Tuchel urged parents to let their children stay up to watch the Mexico tie. "There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch," he said. "There will be a big match in four days, and we need the support of everyone, especially the children."
Pubs in England and Wales have been allowed to stay open until 05:00 on Monday for the game.
The possibility of a kick-off change had sparked anger from former England defender Gary Neville, who criticised FIFA for what he called a 'willy-nilly' decision that would put England at a disadvantage. The proposed move would have brought the game forward six hours to noon local time in Mexico City due to forecast thunderstorms and potential flooding. "I've never seen a League Two game moved, I've never seen a Sunday League game moved. FIFA are sort of willy nilly making it up and moving a game," Neville said. "It will be disruptive to England, they will not like this."
However, after talks with FIFA, the kick-off time has remained unchanged, meaning England will face Mexico at 1am UK time — a slot that has already prompted the BBC's unusual dual offering.