The second World Cup game might be moved because the Mexico vs England match is causing a big problem for FIFA.
The start time for the second World Cup game might change, as reports say FIFA could move the Mexico vs. England match to an earlier time.
BBC Sport says FIFA is likely to set the new kick-off at 12pm local time in Mexico City, instead of the originally planned 6pm. For fans watching in England, this would mean the game starts at 7pm, not 1am, which is great news for supporters and local businesses.
The reason for the possible change is the chance of thunderstorms about an hour before the original match time in Mexico City. Local rules require outdoor events to stop for 30 minutes after each lightning strike.
Sky News says the FA hasn’t been officially told about this yet, and FIFA hasn’t commented or explained why they want to change the kick-off time. SPORTbible has reached out to FIFA and the FA but hasn’t gotten a reply.
If the Mexico vs. England game goes to extra time or penalties at the new start time, it might overlap with the Brazil vs. Norway match happening in New Jersey. Mexico’s game would begin at 2pm ET, and Brazil’s at 4pm ET.
While there’s no rule against knockout games happening at the same time, BBC Sport reports that Brazil vs. Norway could be delayed to avoid overlapping if needed. A spokesperson from the Brazilian Football Federation said they’re waiting to hear from FIFA about any changes.
So far, no official kick-off times or announcements have been made about the schedule.
Some matches have already been delayed during the World Cup. Mexico’s last 32 game against Ecuador was delayed by an hour because of the lightning rule, which covers an 8 to 10-mile area around the stadium. The France vs. Iraq group game started on time but was paused for about two hours during halftime because of weather. Both games finished properly.