The upcoming World Cup 2026 knockout match between Mexico and England, set to take place at the Azteca Stadium, may start at a different time than originally planned due to weather forecasts in Mexico City.
Reports from various newspapers in both countries indicate that this highly anticipated match was scheduled for July 6 at 6:00 PM local time (3:00 AM Romanian time).
UPDATE: Match Timing to Remain Unchanged
According to Sky Sports, FIFA has confirmed that the match will start at the originally scheduled time. Therefore, the game will kick off at 3:00 AM Romanian time.
Potential Rescheduling Due to Weather Conditions
There were concerns that the match could be moved six hours earlier, potentially starting at 9:00 PM Romanian time on July 5. Reports from Mexican media, cited by sportal.bg, suggested that the change was due to the risk of thunderstorms. However, no official announcement confirming the rescheduling has been made, and British reporters indicate that an official statement is expected soon.
FIFA’s regulations for the World Cup allow the organization to cancel, reschedule, or move one or more matches (or the entire FIFA World Cup 2026) at its discretion, citing force majeure circumstances or public health, safety, or security reasons.
This week, Mexico’s match against Ecuador was interrupted due to heavy rain. Previously, the resumption of the second half between France and Iraq was delayed by nearly two hours due to a storm.
Mexico progressed to the knockout stage with an impressive group stage performance, winning 2-0 against South Africa, 1-0 against South Korea, and 3-0 against the Czech Republic. In the round of 16, they faced Ecuador and maintained their strong defensive record with a 2-0 victory.
England started their group stage with a 4-2 victory over Croatia, followed by a surprising draw against Ghana. In their final group match, they secured a 2-0 win over Panama. However, in the round of 16, England faced a challenge when DR Congo scored early, but they turned the game around late in the second half thanks to two goals from Harry Kane.
