World Cup 2026: England’s match with Mexico delayed by an hour

England’s World Cup last 16 match against Mexico has been postponed by an hour due to severe weather conditions and will start at 02:00 BST on Monday (Sunday, 19:00 local time).

It rained heavily throughout the day in Mexico City, and lightning was reported to have struck Azteca Stadium, where the match was played.

The game cannot start until 30 minutes have passed since lightning was last detected within a 12 kilometer radius of the stadium.

FIFA held talks with the British and Mexican football associations on Friday after proposing to move the match to 19:00 (12:00 local time) on Sunday.

The match will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website and app.

A shelter order had previously been issued at Azteca Stadium due to adverse weather conditions.

FIFA has no authority to set its own rules regarding delays caused by severe weather; must follow the recommendations of local authorities.

In the United States, recommendations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are used.

NOAA says if any lightning strikes are detected within 5 miles of the stadium, the game must be stopped. The rules are the same in Mexico.

FIFA said in a statement: “The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA’s priority.”

Sources told BBC Sport on Friday that FIFA was preparing to postpone the match to an earlier kick-off time, but news of the offer angered both British and Mexican officials.

The Football Federation requested time to examine the weather forecasts in more detail.

As talks continued, concerns were discussed regarding the impact on player preparation, fan travel and the logistics of staging such a large game.