England-Mexico World Cup tie schedule chaos resolved after FIFA U-turn

England's World Cup last-16 match against co-hosts Mexico was thrown into chaos on Friday following a bewildering five-and-a-half-hour period marked by uncertainty, anger, and U-turns regarding its kick-off time. The game, originally scheduled for Sunday evening, faced a potential shift that caused significant disruption and confusion.

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England's seismic meeting against the co-hosts in Mexico City was suddenly shrouded in uncertainty.

The drama began around 18:30 BST when reports emerged that FIFA was considering moving the match forward by six hours. Sources suggested this was a precautionary measure against forecasted storms and lightning around the Azteca stadium. FIFA's potential concern over the impact of severe weather on the event was a key factor in the proposed change.

However, the proposal quickly met with strong opposition. Both the English and Mexican football associations expressed anger and lodged protests against the late alteration. Key concerns included the logistical challenges of rearranging fan travel, team preparations, and the overall staging of such a high-profile event on such short notice.

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The Football Association knew nothing about a potential schedule change when BBC Sport journalists began to raise questions.

After intense discussions between FIFA and the national associations, the governing body ultimately decided to revert to the original kick-off time. The match will now proceed as planned at 18:00 local time on Sunday. This decision means fans in England will still need to stay up late or wake early to watch the game live, which is being broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer.

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Behind the scenes, both national associations were locked in talks with Fifa. Both the English and Mexican governing bodies were angry that the change was being proposed less than 48 hours before kick-off.