FIFA decides to maintain the Mexico vs England schedule
The uncertainty about the schedule of the round of 16 match between Mexico and England at the 2026 World Cup ended this Friday. FIFA had evaluated advancing the opening whistle to 12:00 p.m., central Mexico time, to avoid the risk of an afternoon thunderstorm. However, after several deliberations, the organization determined that the match be played at 6:00 p.m., as originally scheduled at the Mexico City Stadium.
The possibility of the change generated annoyance in the Tricolor coach, Javier Aguirre. In a local interview, he called the potential modification a “kick in the gut.”
“FIFA rules, it’s garlic and water. The whole plan, all the work will have to be changed, not that it’s going to hell but almost because you’re swallowing up six hours that you had scheduled. I don’t like it at all,” reproached the Mexican strategist.
On the English side, forward Marcus Rashford maintained a more composed posture before traveling from Kansas City to the Mexican capital. He told the media that competing at noon “is not ideal”, but assured that the British squad has the capacity to adapt thanks to its rigorous preparation, which does not change regardless of the time of the match.
With this decision, the duel between Mexico and England will be played at its original time. Both teams will have to adjust their plans based on confirmation from FIFA.
