Mexico vs England FIFA World Cup 2026 clash faces kickoff delay, here's why

England's highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash against hosts Mexico could yet be affected by adverse weather conditions despite FIFA deciding against changing the original kickoff time.

The two nations are scheduled to meet at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, but forecasts of heavy thunderstorms have once again raised concerns over whether the match will begin as planned.

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Thunderstorm threat raises fresh concerns over kickoff

Preparations for the blockbuster encounter were thrown into uncertainty after reports emerged that FIFA had considered bringing the kickoff forward from 6:00 PM local time to 12:00 PM because of severe weather forecasts.

The proposal was eventually dropped following discussions with both national federations, allowing the fixture to retain its original kickoff time.

However, fresh concerns surfaced after World Cup reporter Olivia Buzaglo, who is currently in Mexico City covering the tournament, shared an update on the worsening weather conditions.

"Being in Mexico City, you can understand why they wanted to change the kick-off time. It's nearly 5pm here and it is absolutely hammering it down. Like properly."

She also predicted that weather conditions could make an on-time kickoff extremely difficult.

"Absolutely no way the game kicks off at 6pm tomorrow."

FIFA could suspend play if lightning strikes

According to reports, the official weather forecasts being monitored by FIFA indicate an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms during the scheduled match window.

Under existing tournament safety protocols, play must be suspended immediately if lightning is detected, with players returning to the dressing rooms. The match can only resume after at least 30 minutes have passed since the last recorded lightning strike.

The protocol has already been enforced twice during the tournament, with the group-stage fixture between France and Iraq, as well as Mexico's Round of 32 clash against Ecuador, both experiencing weather-related delays.

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With a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals on the line, both England and Mexico will now hope the weather cooperates and allows the marquee knockout encounter to proceed without major interruptions.