England's World Cup last-16 tie against Mexico will kick off as scheduled at 01:00 BST on Monday after Fifa abandoned a plan to bring the game forward – a U-turn that followed a day of fury from both camps.
Football's world governing body held talks with the English and Mexican football associations on Friday after proposing the match be moved to 19:00 BST on Sunday (12:00 local time). Weather forecasts suggested thunderstorms could hit Mexico City at that time, though Fifa did not explain its reasoning.
“Fifa U-turn keeps England-Mexio World Cup tie at 1am BST after fury from both teams over proposed six-hour move”
Sources told BBC Sport that Fifa had been set to reschedule the fixture and confirm in a statement, but news of the proposal angered both English and Mexican officials. The Football Association requested time to review the forecast in more detail, while concerns over player preparation, fan travel and the logistics of moving such a huge game were discussed.
Mexico boss Javier Aguirre did not hide his rage. Speaking to Spanish-Mexican journalist Joaquin Lopez Doriga on Radio Formula, he said: “That’s right, it’s like a kick in the gut, it changes everything, the plan. It’s not that it’s completely ruined, but almost, because you have to swallow six hours of scheduled training. Obviously, we will abide by what FIFA says. I don’t like it at all, nor do my players. Of course, the food, the nap, the sleep, the physiotherapy, everything, everything, it seems trivial, but it isn't.”
England players brushed off the disruption more coolly. Asked as he left the pitch about the possibility of the game being moved, winger Marcus Rashford said it was “not ideal” but added: “We have to be focused. We have to be ready for anything. I think it's one of our strengths as a group.”
Fifa regulations for World Cup 2026 state it has the right to “cancel, reschedule or relocate” matches “at its sole discretion”. But after pushback from both associations, it decided to keep the tie at its original kick-off time – 18:00 local time on Sunday, which is 01:00 BST on Monday.
The FA had not been informed of any change until BBC Sport contacted it at 19:00 BST on Friday. Within half an hour, Fifa confirmed it was exploring a reschedule. England's players were finishing training in Kansas City when the news broke; officials were incensed at being left in the dark.
Reports in Mexico claimed the BBC had lobbied for an earlier kick-off, but a BBC spokesperson said the corporation was “not involved in these discussions”.
The match will be broadcast live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website and app. Back in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to keep pubs open until 5am means the hospitality industry is poised to bank huge sums from the rare late-night start.