All England vs Mexico kick-off times ranked by how likely they are after the latest weather update
The World Cup round of 16 game between England and Mexico is set to start at 6pm local time, which means fans in the UK will be watching or listening at 1am. But, because of weather warnings in Mexico City, the match time might change.
Both teams weren’t sure exactly when the game would begin. There were talks it could start up to six hours earlier or be pushed back a few hours to avoid the bad weather. After a lot of uncertainty, FIFA finally confirmed the match will kick off at the original time.
That said, the game might still be delayed like Mexico’s previous match against Ecuador was. Right now, there’s about a 40% chance it will start as planned. There’s also a good chance it could be delayed by 30 to 75 minutes due to the weather. Delays of 1 to 2 hours are less likely at 18%, and delays over 2 hours are rare at 5%. A full postponement looks very unlikely, just 2%.
Once the match begins, it’s expected to continue without any interruptions.
England’s preparations haven’t been perfect either. Fans in Mexico have been making noise outside the team’s hotel late into the night, which could make it hard for the players to get a good sleep. This same thing happened before the Ecuador game, where the loud support for Mexico may have affected the opponents. Of course, Mexico also played very well in that match.
The uncertainty over kick-off times has added stress for the teams, along with worries about playing at high altitude—something that could affect England’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals.
On the bright side, England’s team got their equipment back after it was stolen earlier in the tournament when they traveled from Florida to Kansas City, so at least they’re fully prepared gear-wise for this important game.