Mexico vs. England Round of 16 Match Delayed by One Hour Due to Severe Weather

▲ Officials wait in Mexico City on the 5th (local time) as the match between Mexico and England is delayed due to poor weather conditions.

The 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup Round of 16 match between host nation Mexico and England will kick off one hour later than scheduled due to severe weather.

FIFA announced today (July 6) that the Round of 16 match between Mexico and England, set to take place at the Mexico City Stadium, will begin at 10:00 a.m., one hour later than originally planned.

The match was initially scheduled to kick off at 9:00 a.m. (6:00 p.m. local time on July 6).

However, as a thunderstorm with lightning and heavy rain occurred near the stadium, FIFA issued an indoor evacuation order for spectators and officials and decided to delay the start of the match by one hour.

FIFA had considered moving the kickoff time to noon local time after the storm was forecasted, but ultimately decided to maintain the original schedule.

In this tournament, the Group I second match between France and Iraq (France won 3-0), held at the Philadelphia Stadium in Pennsylvania, USA, on June 23, also faced disruptions due to severe weather.

At that time, after France finished the first half leading 1-0, the match was delayed for 2 hours and 10 minutes, including a 15-minute halftime, before play resumed.

The Round of 32 match between Mexico and Ecuador, held at the Mexico City Stadium on July 1, was also delayed by one hour due to severe weather and the risk of lightning near the stadium.

Mexico won that match 2-0.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)

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