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England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico will kick off as originally scheduled at 18:00 local time Sunday in Mexico City, after FIFA reversed a proposal to move the game to Sunday afternoon.
According to a report by BBC Sport, FIFA held talks with the English and Mexican football associations on Friday after proposing the match be shifted to 19:00 BST on Sunday, which would have been 12:00 local time. Weather forecasts suggested thunderstorms could be possible at that hour, though FIFA did not offer any official explanation for the suggested change.
Sources told BBC Sport that FIFA had been set to reschedule the fixture and confirm it in a statement. The proposal angered officials from both the Football Association and its Mexican counterpart. The FA requested time to review the weather forecast in more detail before any decision was made.
As talks continued, concerns mounted over the impact on player preparation, fan travel, and the logistics of reorganizing a major knockout match on short notice. Those concerns ultimately carried the day. FIFA maintained throughout that no final decision had been made, and after pushback from both associations, the tie was confirmed at its original time.
The situation moved quickly on Friday evening. BBC Sport first contacted the FA at 19:00 BST following reports the fixture was being rescheduled. At that point, the FA had not received any information suggesting a change was coming, and preparations for Sunday's match were continuing as normal. FA officials were involved in planning and security discussions for the original kickoff. Within half an hour, however, FIFA had informed the FA it was exploring a rescheduling.
The news broke just as England's players were finishing training at their Kansas City base. With preparations well under way, officials felt it was too late for any change and were angered they appeared to have been left in the dark.
England's players took a more measured tone publicly. Winger Marcus Rashford, asked about the possibility as he was leaving the pitch, called it "not ideal" but said the squad would handle whatever came. "I think for us it's the same how we prepare for the game," Rashford said. "It has to be the same."
Reports in Mexico suggested the BBC had been part of lobbying around an earlier kickoff time, but a BBC spokesperson said the corporation was "not involved in these discussions." The match will be broadcast live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, and the BBC Sport website and app.
FIFA regulations for World Cup 2026 state the governing body has the right to "cancel, reschedule or relocate" matches "at its sole discretion." Despite that authority, the game will be played Sunday at its original time, with Declan Rice reported to likely be available for England.
