England vs Mexico kick-off moved six hours earlier as thunderstorms threaten Azteca

FIFA has moved England’s World Cup fixture against Mexico at the Azteca stadium forward by six hours, shifting kick-off from 1am UK time on Monday to 7pm on Sunday evening after severe thunderstorms were forecast to hit Mexico City around the original start time.

Weather maps showed almost 5mm of rain projected to fall over the Banorte Stadium — more widely known as the Azteca — with a heavy band of storms stretching across the Mexican capital. Under tournament safety regulations, any lightning strike detected within an eight-mile radius of a stadium triggers an automatic 30-minute suspension of play, a rule that has already caused disruption elsewhere at the tournament: France’s group-stage match against Iraq in Philadelphia was delayed by more than two hours due to severe weather.

FIFA’s World Cup regulations give organisers the authority to “cancel, reschedule or relocate” fixtures “at its sole discretion” when safety concerns arise, and the governing body exercised that power in the days before the match.

England winger Marcus Rashford acknowledged the late change was “not ideal” but said the squad would adapt. “I think for us it’s the same how we prepare for the game — it has to be the same. We have to be focused. We have to be ready for anything. I think it’s one of our strengths as a group,” he said. “Everyone, including the players and staff… we are ready for whatever challenges get thrown at us. So obviously it’s not ideal but also it doesn’t really matter.”

The rescheduling comes just days after Prime Minister Keir Starmer relaxed alcohol licensing laws, allowing pubs and bars across England and Wales to stay open until 5am without applying for special late licences — a measure introduced specifically to accommodate England’s overnight World Cup fixtures. The original match had been expected to finish after 3am UK time, with the potential to run later still if the game went to penalties.