England vs. Mexico might be delayed because of a tricky situation at the pubs that could affect fans.
Pubs in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 5am so fans can watch the Three Lions’ last-16 match against Mexico. However, the gloomy weather forecast might affect everyone’s viewing experience.
Thomas Tuchel’s team will face a tough challenge on Sunday evening (6pm local time) as they play against a strong Mexico side at the Estadio Azteca.
For those who don’t know, the Azteca is more than 7,000 feet above sea level – that’s about one and a half times higher than Ben Nevis, the tallest point in the UK.
This will be England’s toughest game so far. “Playing Mexico at the Azteca means many obstacles for us,” said Tuchel after England’s win over DR Congo. He also mentioned that the altitude is a “big disadvantage.”
On top of that, bad weather could cause delays. The Met Office says thunderstorms might start about an hour before the match. In fact, there are storms predicted between 5pm and 7pm in Mexico City.
A Twitter user, @PlanetFPLPod, joked on Friday: “Pubs allowed open until 5am for England on Sunday night. Gonna be funny if the game gets delayed 2 hours because of lightning and then goes to extra time.”
Monday’s game probably won’t finish until at least 3am, but if there’s a long delay, it could end really close to when pubs in England and Wales have to close.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s last-32 game against Ecuador was delayed by an hour because of storms near the Azteca.
Also, some Mexico fans have been causing problems before matches. The Ecuadorian Football Federation made an official complaint because fans kept their players awake by gathering outside their hotel.
Now, before the England game, these fans plan to do the same. According to The Mirror, they’re preparing to bring loud music, cars, motorbikes, and horns to make lots of noise outside the hotel where England is staying. Local police will be there, but it might still be hard to keep things calm.