FIFA reverse proposal to move England vs Mexico kickoff time

OneFootballFri, Jul 3, 2026·2 min read

According to mainstream outlets late on Friday, FIFA was reportedly set to bring forward the last-16 clash between England and Mexico at Azteca, Mexico City.

However, after reported debates and public backlash from coaches, the match will now remain in its initial time slot (1:00 UK time on Monday).

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Forecasts in Mexico suggest there could be severe thunderstorms and heavy rain around the scheduled kickoff time, which could cause delays. According to The Athletic, FIFA were also concerned about flooding.

Initial reports suggested the highly anticipated last-16 match would therefore be brought forward by six hours to 19:00 UK, 12:00 local time on Sunday.

While Mexico, England, and the rest of the world awaited confirmation of the change, FIFA then ultimately reversed their initial suggestion.

Manager Javier Aguirre was one individual who was unsupportive of the proposal prior to confirmation. When speaking to Radio Formula on Friday, he said the time change is "like a kick in the gut."

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"It changes everything, the plan," he continued. "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."

Weather across North America has proved problematic for other matches throughout the 2026 edition of the tournament.

We have seen two other matches suffer delays to kickoff due to weather, including the last-32 match in Mexico City between Mexico and Ecuador.

Yet after all of that confusion, it seems they will go back to their original plan after all. What a mess!