FIFA confirms England-Mexico World Cup last-16 kick-off unchanged at Azteca Stadium
England’s World Cup last-16 clash with Mexico will kick off at 18:00 local time in Mexico City on Sunday as scheduled, FIFA confirmed on Friday night, ending 48 hours of speculation over a possible six-hour advance to avoid storms.
The governing body had spent Thursday and Friday examining forecasts that warned of severe afternoon thunderstorms and flooding around the 2 240-metre-high Azteca Stadium, where kick-off was originally set for 19:00 local time (02:00 BST Monday). Multiple outlets, including the BBC and AFP , reported on Friday that organisers were considering moving the match to 12:00 local time (19:00 BST) to reduce the risk of disruption. Yet by Friday evening FIFA had decided against any change, telling Al Jazeera that “no decision was ever made to reschedule” .
The volte-face follows a day of conflicting reports. German newspaper *Die Welt* and Dutch broadcaster RTL both cited local sources claiming the fixture might be brought forward, while *The Guardian* and the BBC noted that organisers were weighing a noon local start. Greek outlet *Proto Thema* likewise reported FIFA discussions about an earlier kick-off. By Friday night, however, *Die Welt* and *Tagesspiegel* confirmed that the original schedule would stand.
Mexico City authorities have nonetheless tightened security and capped stadium attendance after four deaths in recent crowd incidents, Yahoo News reported . England midfielder Declan Rice is expected to start despite a minor injury, the BBC added.
Ticket prices for the historic tie have soared to $36 000 on the secondary market, Estonian outlet PMO reported , while Dutch site Nu.nl noted that English fans were reselling seats purchased for a few hundred euros at inflated prices.
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