Will the Mexico vs. England World Cup match be delayed?

Andrew Joseph, For The WinSun, Jul 5, 2026·3 min read

England's come-from-behind win over DR Congo on Wednesday set the Three Lions up for one of the toughest and most anticipated matches of this World Cup.

But we might have to wait a bit longer for it to begin.

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Mexico is slated to host England in Sunday's Round of 16 matchup at the storied Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. It was a match that was already going to pose challenges to England with Mexico City's high altitude and pollution.

The weather is adding another concern.

FIFA briefly considered moving the match up several hours to a 2 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff in order to avoid forecasted severe weather. Ultimately, though, the organization opted to keep the 8 p.m. kickoff time unchanged and just hope the weather cooperates. That plan is already falling apart.

What's the latest on the weather in Mexico City?

About three hours before kickoff, Estadio Azteca did enter its shelter-in-place procedures with heavy rain and lightning in the area. The teams were also reportedly told to delay their arrivals to the the stadium.

England opted to arrive to the stadium as scheduled despite FIFA asking the squads to remain at the hotels. And, of course, the bus had quite the greeting as it approached the venue.

The Fox pregame broadcast confirmed that the kickoff would be delayed by at least one hour — tentatively a 9 p.m. Eastern Time start.

Mexico also arrived about 2.5 hours before the scheduled kickoff.

What is FIFA's plan for extreme weather?

FIFA does have a plan in place for extreme weather.

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When it comes to lightning, the familiar 8-mile radius rule is in place from other U.S. sports. Via Reuters:

Under U.S. protocols, play is suspended immediately if lightning is detected within an ​eight-mile (13-km) radius ​of a ⁠stadium and can only resume after 30 minutes have passed without ​a further strike.

Any new lightning detection ​resets ⁠the countdown, meaning delays can stretch for several hours if thunderstorms persist. FIFA has no fixed ⁠time ​limit after which a ​match must be abandoned, with each situation assessed on a ​case-by-case basis.

As for potential postponements, FIFA will handle that decision on a game-by-game basis. If the weather doesn't clear or if the field is unplayable, a suspended match could be moved to the following day. That is an outcome that FIFA would like to avoid.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Will the Mexico vs. England World Cup match be delayed?