Severe weather delays England’s World Cup wlash with Mexico in Mexico City

England’s highly anticipated World Cup last-16 match against Mexico has been delayed by one hour due to severe weather conditions, FIFA confirmed Sunday.

Originally scheduled to kick off earlier, the match at the iconic Azteca Stadium is now set to commence at 7am on Monday as torrential rain and lightning storms batter the Mexican capital.

A shelter-in-place order was briefly issued at the stadium ahead of the delay. Under safety protocols, play cannot begin until a clear 30-minute window has passed since the last recorded lightning strike within an eight-mile radius of the venue.

In a statement, football's governing body emphasized that player and spectator safety dictated the schedule change. "The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA's priority," the statement read. Officials noted that FIFA defers entirely to local authority guidelines regarding adverse weather disruptions.

The scheduling of the high-stakes knockout match has been a point of intense friction over the last 48 hours. On Friday, FIFA proposed moving the kick-off forward to midday local time on Sunday to escape the predicted evening storms.

However, the proposal sparked immediate backlash from both the English Football Association (FA) and Mexican football officials, who cited severe disruptions to player preparation, fan travel logistics, and broadcast commitments. Following urgent discussions—during which the FA requested additional time to independently review meteorological data—FIFA executed a U-turn, initially leaving the original kickoff time intact before Sunday's storm forced the current one-hour delay.