England World Cup kick off time concern as storms hit Mexico city | World | News
There are concerns about the scheduled start time of England’s crucial World Cup qualifying match against host nation Mexico as severe storms descend on the capital. The highly anticipated round of 16 match at the famous Azteca Stadium will kick off at 01:00 CET, which is currently 18:00 local time on Monday, July 6.
Although football’s governing body FIFA has denied intense speculation about a recent schedule change, severe weather conditions in Mexico City mean people fear an unexpected delay. Concerns about adverse weather conditions intensified after fans at the ground shared images of the extreme conditions online.
According to The Sun, one observer said: “24 hours before biblical #ENGMEX rain in Mexico City – predicted to have more of the same tomorrow around the same time. Match should be scheduled by breakfast time on Monday morning…” Another fan posted: “Heavy rains are being reported in #Mexico City this afternoon and the chance of rain will remain high tomorrow, just like this afternoon and evening. So it’s no surprise there are updates on the match.”
A third added: “Heavy rain and thunderstorms in Mexico City ahead of tomorrow’s R16 match between England and Mexico. With a similar forecast tomorrow, there are concerns the match scheduled for Sun 1800 local (Mon 0100UK) could be disrupted.”
While FIFA has chosen not to issue an official statement regarding these social media posts, the tournament rules clearly state that the governing body has the power to “cancel, reschedule or relocate” fixtures “at its sole discretion”.
The meteorological threat comes just after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer extended licensing laws allowing hundreds of British pubs to stay open until 5am so fans can watch the late-night action.
It was initially reported that the match could be postponed by six hours to avoid the worst of weather conditions, but following a harsh reaction from both the British and Mexican football associations it became clear that this was not the case.
Mexico are no strangers to delays, as their last 32 2-0 defeat against Ecuador was postponed by an hour due to storms.
Mexico’s official weather bureau, Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, announced that there is an 80% chance of severe thunderstorms from 16:00 local time on Sunday (two hours before the scheduled kick-off).
Safety protocols state that if lightning strikes an area within a five-mile radius of the field, play must be suspended, requiring a mandatory 30-minute pause that resets with each subsequent strike nearby.
After all, FIFA must comply with local security authorities regarding stadium evacuations.
