England’s World Cup match with Mexico might be in trouble after a worrying update comes in
England’s World Cup Round of 16 match against Mexico might be delayed because of some worrying news.
England made it through the Round of 32 with a 2-1 win over DR Congo on July 1. Now, Thomas Tuchel’s team is getting ready to play Mexico, one of the host countries, at the famous Mexico City Stadium (once called Estadio Azteca) on Monday, July 6.
Mexico has only lost twice in their last 89 competitive games at this stadium. The stadium is high up, 2,240 meters above sea level, which means the air is thinner and can make it harder for players not used to the altitude to breathe.
So far in the tournament, England has played all their games in the USA, while Mexico has played three games at Mexico City Stadium and one at Guadalajara Stadium, winning all four.
There has already been some confusion about the kick-off time. On Friday, July 3, reports said FIFA wanted to move the game up six hours to 7 pm (BST) instead of the original 1 am because of storm warnings. But after talks with FIFA, the English FA, and Mexican football officials, FIFA seems to have gone back on this, and the match will start at the original time of 1 am for now.
However, the time could change again. Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol said there’s about an 80% chance of thunderstorms during the match. He explained that FIFA has decided for now to keep the 1 am start, but if there is lightning or storms, the players will have to leave the field, and fans will be asked to stay safe until the weather clears. This could delay the game by a long time—like last summer in the US when games were held up for two to two and a half hours.
If the game starts late or goes into extra time or penalties, the match could last much longer than usual because of the weather.
FIFA rules, based on local safety rules from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), say a game must stop or be delayed if lightning is detected within eight miles. In that case, everyone has to leave the field or their seats until it’s safe to return. The game can only start again after 30 minutes without lightning.
NOAA also advises stopping activities if you see lightning, hear thunder, or see threatening skies.
Some games already suffered from bad weather during the tournament, like France vs Iraq, which was paused for almost two hours, and Mexico vs Ecuador, whose start was delayed by about an hour.
BBC Weather says there’s a 59% chance of rain during England’s game in Mexico City, rising to 71% by the second half, with thunderstorms expected. AccuWeather says it will be cloudy with rain and a thunderstorm later in the afternoon.
So, fans should be ready for possible delays or changes because of the weather.