Downing Street defends Starmer's role in England kick-off time row as FIFA faces Trump pressure

Downing Street has moved to clarify Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s involvement in discussions over the kick-off time for England’s World Cup last-16 match against Mexico, as FIFA faces a separate and more contentious row over alleged political interference by US President Donald Trump.

Starmer is understood to have intervened to prevent FIFA from bringing forward the fixture’s start time from 6pm local to 12pm local on Sunday. The change, had it gone ahead, would have significantly reduced England’s preparation time for a match played at high altitude in Mexico City.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman was careful to frame the intervention as backing for the Football Association rather than direct pressure on FIFA. “The Prime Minister was clear that he was supportive of representations made by the Football Association regarding the practical implications of a proposed scheduling change for the team’s preparations,” the spokesman said. “The final decision on fixture timings remained a matter for FIFA.”

When pressed on whether the Government engaged directly with FIFA or the Mexican authorities, the spokesman declined to detail the internal process, reiterating only that Starmer had been “supportive of the representations made by the FA” and that the scheduling decision ultimately rested with FIFA.

The clarification came on the same day FIFA faced accusations of bowing to political pressure from President Trump over a red card issued to United States striker Folarin Balogun. Downing Street was at pains to draw a clear distinction between the two situations, stressing that “decisions on disciplinary matters and the application of rules of the game are for FIFA and for the relevant football authorities.”

In the event, the match kicked off an hour later than originally scheduled — not as a result of any intervention, but because of thunderstorms in the local area.

England came through the tie 3-2, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in the first half and Harry Kane converting a penalty after the break to send the side into the quarter-finals. FIFA has been approached for comment.