Starmer ordered diplomatic push to save England fans from missing World Cup match

The prime minister personally intervened to stop Fifa moving England’s World Cup match against Mexico to an earlier kick-off time, a move that would have left thousands of travelling fans stranded. Sir Keir Starmer instructed officials to make the case that the match should remain in its original 1am BST slot – despite Fifa’s plans to bring it forward by six hours because of a forecast of thunderstorms and fears over lightning and flooding around the Azteca Stadium. The Foreign Office also contacted British diplomats in Mexico City, asking them to make representations against the change to ensure that the 3,000 travelling England supporters did not miss the game. The proposed time change, less than 48 hours before kick-off, had sparked anger from both the English and Mexican football associations, who raised concerns about the impact on fans’ travel plans and team preparations. Mexican manager Javier Aguirre called the proposals a “kick in the gut”. After more than five hours of uncertainty, Fifa eventually stuck to the scheduled start time – but kick-off was then delayed by an hour because of the weather. Speaking at a Downing Street reception, Sir Keir said: “We had to battle with the FA to get it back to where it was, which was counterintuitive.” The Football Association has not commented. England went on to win the match 3-2, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice, setting up a quarter-final clash against Norway in Miami on Saturday. The Azteca Stadium, which holds more than 87,000 spectators, was the venue for the drama – a night that could prove transformative for the Three Lions.