England vs Mexico World Cup match delayed by an hour
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- England's World Cup last-16 match with Mexico has been delayed by one hour due to severe weather, with kick-off now set for 02:00 BST (19:00 local time).
- The Azteca Stadium saw heavy rain throughout the day and reports of lightning overhead, with regulations barring play until 30 minutes have passed since the last lightning detection within an eight-mile radius.
- FIFA held talks with the English and Mexican football associations on Friday after proposing to move the match to 19:00 BST on Sunday (12:00 local time), before reversing course and leaving the kick-off time unchanged.
- The match will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, and the BBC Sport website and app.
Why it matters: The delay means England's last-16 fixture against Mexico will now begin at 02:00 BST rather than its original slot, forcing a late night for British viewers and complicating travel and broadcast logistics. The fact that FIFA considered and then abandoned a Sunday move signals ongoing uncertainty over whether weather conditions will clear in time, with the eight-mile lightning rule remaining the binding trigger for when play can actually start.