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There was then an hour delay to kick-off in Mexico’s last-32 win over Ecuador at the Azteca on Tuesday for the same reason, with lightning in the Mexican capital.
For followers of last summer’s Club World Cup in the United States, it will not be an unfamiliar phenomenon.
Here’s everything you need to know about the weather protocol at this World Cup…
Lightning bolt: Mexico vs Ecuador in the World Cup round of 32 was delayed by an hour due to storms
Getty
What happens now England vs Mexico is delayed?
FIFA does not have a severe weather policy of its own – it must adhere to regulations imposed by local authorities.
And those authorities in North America take a no-nonsense approach, particularly where lightning is concerned.
Any match at this World Cup will be suspended if lightning is detected within eight miles of the stadium in question, and met with a delay of at least half an hour.
All players, coaches and officials must leave the pitch, and all fans must leave the stands and find safe shelter.
The game may not start or resume until a full 30 minutes has passed with no lightning detected within that eight-mile radius, with the clock reset each time it is.
How long can matches be delayed?
FIFA have no hard-and-fast cut-off point at which they would postpone a match.
Decisions as to when games will be formally called off are based primarily on the safety of players and supporters, plus if the pitch remains in a suitable condition.
If a match has to be postponed due to weather, it would, for logistical reasons, most likely be resumed the following day, picking up from the exact point at which it was stopped.
If a match was stopped with 65 minutes played, teams would return to complete the remaining 35.
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Here’s exactly how much inheritance YOU need to retire early, the tricks to use so you NEVER run out of money and how to avoid tax headaches
An inheritance is likely to be the biggest windfall ever to drop into your bank account – one that could change your life.
But most of us don’t plan too carefully for what we’d do with it. That’s because it’s never guaranteed – someone from whom you expect to receive an inheritance could spend it themselves, need the money for care home fees or leave it to someone else.
And, of course, it can be hard to think about, as an inheritance almost always follows the loss of a loved one when you’re in the depths of grief.
For most, inheritances do not typically come early in life, when the money could help you get on the property ladder or pay off student loans.
Instead, as people live longer than in previous generations, most now inherit on the cusp of retirement, when it can make a big difference to whether you keep working or can afford to stop.
If you were born between 1980 and 1996, the typical age at which you can expect to receive an inheritance is 62, according to the Resolution Foundation think-tank.
One in five people now in their 60s who were recent beneficiaries of an inheritance received between £100,000 and £250,000, according to its analysis.
It’s perhaps inevitable that receiving such a large sum at this age would prompt questions about cutting down hours or retiring early.
The size of inheritances is also growing, increasing the likelihood of receiving a life-changing sum.
If you were born in the 1980s, the average inheritance would amount to about 16 per cent of your lifetime income, while for those born in the 1960s it would make up 9 per cent, a separate study by the Institute For Fiscal Studies found.
So would receiving an inheritance allow you to bring forward your retirement age? How do you work out how much you need to retire early and what can you do to ensure that the money lasts?
Wealth & Personal Finance asked financial advisers and experts to share their tips…
What kind of lifestyle do you want to have?
An inheritance is likely to be the biggest windfall ever to drop into your bank account – one that could permit you to make big life changes
Many of us dream of retiring early to have more time to do the things we enjoy.
But the earlier you leave work the longer you will have to make your money last – and the greater the risk of running out towards the end of your life.
It can be tricky to figure out exactly how much you will need to do this. The key is to work out how much you would need for the lifestyle you aspire to and then calculate if, between your pensions and inherited plus other wealth, you would have enough to last you.
While still in your working years, it can be hard to imagine what your costs will be in retirement.
Industry body Pensions UK has come up with simple rules of thumb, which you can use as a starting point.
For example, it says that a single person needs an income of £32,700 a year for a decent retirement. This so-called moderate lifestyle covers the essentials, plus some left over to splash out on food and entertainment, trips abroad and running a car. Couples need a joint income of £45,400 for the same lifestyle.
The very minimum a single person needs to get by is £13,900 a year and £22,500 for a couple, while they need an income of £45,400 and £62,700, respectively for an affluent lifestyle.
These headline targets don’t include some very important items, which should be factored in, such as income tax, housing costs if you are still paying a mortgage or rent and care costs in later life.
As a general rule, if you wanted an income of £32,700 – rising with inflation every year – you would need a lump sum of around £473,000 by the age of 66, according to pension firm Standard Life.
The calculations assume you are a basic-rate taxpayer who needs a pre-tax income of £37,732 to reach £32,700 after tax, and that you would receive the full state pension, currently worth £12,548 a year.
If you already have this amount in your pension and other savings when you receive an inheritance, you are likely to be well placed to use your windfall to knock some years off your retirement date.
However, you need to remember that your years of early retirement are likely to be significantly more expensive than those after state pension age and beyond.
If you wanted to retire with the same lifestyle at the age of 60, you would need as much as £554,600 set aside, according to Standard Life. This is because not only would you need to cover an extra six years of expenditure, but you would have to use more of your savings in the first few years until you become eligible to claim your state pension.
If you are an energetic early retiree who has quit the world of work to enjoy travel, hobbies and socialising, those first years are likely to be even more expensive.
Nick Nesbitt, partner and head of private client at Forvis Mazars, says for his clients an inheritance is often the ‘icing on the cake’
If you want a more accurate idea of how much you might need throughout all stages of retirement, financial advisers can help you to build what’s called a lifetime cashflow model.
This sets out your goals and likely expenditure and works out how much you will need and whether those plans are achievable based on what you have.
Factoring a potential inheritance into retirement plans is fraught with difficulty as it’s hard to know what you might receive – if anything – and at what age.
However, Adrian Murphy, chief executive of Murphy Wealth, suggests planning various scenarios, including one in which you receive an inheritance. He says: ‘We don’t base people’s financial plans on inheritance, as you don’t know when it will happen or how much it will be. But what we might do is a version of a plan where you can make reasonable assumptions and set out how different situations may look in the future.’
He adds: ‘You can take a notional number for inheritance and plug that in, which can either be used to provide a better retirement or bring the date forward.
‘Or, in cases where you can’t access your pension until a certain date, an inheritance could be used to bridge the gap between the point you want to retire and when you can start to take the benefits.’
Use your inheritance to enhance retirement
More than three-quarters of workers are not on course to have enough saved for a moderate standard of living in retirement, trade body Pensions UK warns.
For those who have undersaved, an inheritance could be crucial not to retire early, but rather to retire at all with a decent income, says St James’s Place head of advice Claire Trott.
‘Rather than enabling people to retire earlier, it’s likely that using inheritance may increasingly become a financial necessity to help fill retirement savings gaps,’ she says.
You might also be surprised at how receiving an inheritance affects your attitude to work. You may have spent years dreaming about retiring early – but when given the opportunity to, realise that you are happy to continue.
Sam Patterson, of Equilibrium Financial Planning, says many clients use an inheritance to make gradual changes such as reducing their working hours
Nick Nesbitt, partner and head of private client tax at Forvis Mazars, has noticed that sometimes people behave counter-intuitively and decide they want to carry on working just when they have inherited enough to stop.
He says: ‘While you would think it would serve as permission for people to retire, I quite often see the opposite – it changes their mental relationship with working because they no longer have to.
‘So, whether it’s an inheritance or some other form of windfall, you actually see many people continuing to work because they realise that when the pressure of having to earn goes, their relationship with working improves.’
Sam Patterson, head of proposition at Equilibrium Financial Planning, says that one client with a highly pressured and very successful career used an inheritance to turn her passion for restoring old furniture into a business – and now has more time for family, which her old job never allowed.
But when it comes to retirement, he says: ‘We see clients are using an inheritance to make gradual changes, such as reducing their working hours.
‘The most common challenge we hear is balancing the desire to enjoy today with the need to provide for tomorrow.’
His recommendation is to treat an inheritance as a foundation for the life you want to live, not something to use all at once.
… but don’t forget about the tax bill
Any inheritance you do receive may be subject to tax – so make sure to factor that in. You will need to consider the deceased person’s estate as a whole, not just the share you could receive, to calculate the total tax bill.
Everyone has a £325,000 allowance – called the nil-rate band – that can be passed on free of inheritance tax (IHT). Any wealth above this is subject to a 40 per cent rate.
There is also an additional tax-free allowance of £175,000 when a family home is left to ‘direct descendants’ such as children or grandchildren.
This creates a maximum total tax-free allowance of £500,000 for an individual or £1million for a married couple or civil partners.
There is no tax to pay on any property, assets or money inherited from a spouse or civil partner and their unused IHT allowance can be passed on when the surviving spouse dies.
If you do receive a windfall, make sure that you shield the cash from any further tax bills as best you can.
If you leave cash in a regular savings account, you could be taxed on the interest you earn. Most people have a personal savings allowance – this is the threshold below which you don’t need to pay tax on any interest you earn from your bank.
Basic rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 in savings interest before paying any tax, while higher-rate taxpayers have a £500 allowance. Additional rate taxpayers, earning more than £125,140 a year, get no personal savings allowance.
Consider saving and investing in cash and stocks and shares Isas where your money can grow free of tax on interest, profits or dividends. The annual Isa allowance for new contributions is £20,000.
Getting the taxman to add a pile of cash into your pension
You are likely to have to make inheritance and pension savings last for many decades, so how you spend them is crucial.
One of the easiest ways to guarantee you don’t run out of money is buying an annuity. This is where you take a lump sum and exchange it for a guaranteed income for life.
Inevitably, the earlier you buy one, the lower the income you will receive as it will have to last for longer.
For example, if you used £100,000 to buy an annuity with protection against inflation, you would get £4,207 if it started from age 55, according to figures from investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown. However, you could get £4,634 from age 60 or £5,304 from age 65.
Alternatively, you can keep your pension and inheritance invested and take money only as and when you need it – a process known as drawdown.
You may end up better off using this method over buying an annuity because money that remains invested can continue to grow. However, there is a greater risk of running out of money if you don’t achieve the investment returns you were hoping for.
But you could make your inheritance go even further by putting it in your pension, where it will benefit from tax relief.
You can put up to £60,000 into a pension or 100 per cent of your annual earnings (whichever is lower) each tax year and get tax relief – and if you have not used up allowances from the previous three tax years, you can use them too. For every £80 you put into a pension, the taxman tops it up to £100 if you’re a basic-rate taxpayer. If you’re a higher-rate taxpayer, you need only put in £60 and the taxman adds £40.
However, if you have already started drawing from a pension, the amount you can subsequently put in is restricted, so check the rules and re-evaluate your own circumstances before going ahead with this.
A combination of annuities and drawdown can often provide a neat solution to making the most of your money while providing security that you won’t run out.
Although most annuities cover a lifetime, there are also options that cover a set period. These are called fixed-term annuities.
For example, you could take out a fixed-term annuity for your years of early retirement to cover you until you receive your state pension.
At that point, you could opt for drawdown if you prefer, with your state pension providing the bedrock of your income.
Or you could buy another annuity that takes into account your new income needs now that you have your state pension coming in.
A decent financial adviser can set you up with an investment portfolio designed to last for a longer retirement and make recommendations about how annuities could help.
They can also advise on keeping your tax bill in check and help you to plan if you want to pass on an inheritance to the next generation.
The government has beat its target of adding 2,000 schools to the free breakfast clubs programme this year, with more than 2,700 to be up and running from September
Parents at 1,400 more schools will on Monday find out if they can save up to £450 through free breakfast clubs from September.
The government has beat its target of adding 2,000 schools to the programme this year, with more than 2,700 to be up and running by the start of the new academic year.
More 680,000 children will attend them after the summer holidays, up from 300,000 today, the Department for Education (DfE) From September, schools must also comply with the new legal limits on the number of branded uniform items they can require.
It means parents can buy more of the everyday basics, like trousers and shirts, from any shop or supermarket rather than one pricey supplier. The government’s expansion of free school meals to every household on Universal Credit – saving families up to £500 a year – will also kick in at the same time.
Breakfast clubs are already delivering cumulative savings of nearly £25million to families by serving up over 10 million free breakfasts and five million hours of childcare unlocked. For a family using their club every day that’s worth up to £450 and 95 hours a year.
Today’s announcement builds on the biggest ever expansion of funded childcare, now saving families using their full 30 hours an average of £8,000 a year per child.
Labour’s Great British Summer Saving scheme was also launched at the end of June to ease the cost of living crisis for families over the summer.
From 25 June to 1 September, VAT has been cut on children’s meals in restaurants, children’s and family tickets for theatres and cinemas, and tickets for family attractions. Children aged five to 15 will also get free bus travel throughout August.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “No parent should have to choose between a summer day out to the beach and kitting their child out for school.
“From September, families will feel the difference at the school gates: free breakfast clubs at 1,400 more schools, an end to expensive lists of branded uniform, and more free lunches for those who need them.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said the breakfast club announcement is “extremely welcome”. He added: “Breakfast clubs can have real benefits and while many schools have been running them in different forms for years, the ambition of making them available to all primary age children is laudable.
“As the roll-out of clubs continues, it’s crucial that the government recognises that each school is unique and some will face significant challenges in setting up new clubs and and adapting existing ones, with concerns including their ability to staff the clubs, the impact on workload, and the costs involved.”
England’s World Cup crunch game against Mexico has been moved back by an hour due to extreme weather. With many staying up late in the UK fearing that it could be pushed back further.
The match was due to kick-off at 6pm local time (1am UK), but with the threat of lightning in Mexico City, the stadium activated its thunderstorm protocol less than an hour before then and the game will now start at 7pm (2am UK).
A FIFA statement read: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 19.00 local time (21:00 EDT).
“The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.”
Fifa is adhering to rules set by local authorities during the tournament, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) saying that if any lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium the game has to be stopped.
If the matched is pushed back further, pubs risk having to chuck punters out mid-game with extended hours only going up to 5am on Monday.
Pubs in England and Wales are allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday, Keir Starmer announced last week. Licensing hours had already been extended for the World Cup from 11pm to 1am for games with kick-offs from 5pm up to 9pm and up until 2am for kick-offs between 9pm and 10pm
Monday’s match was originally expected to finish at roughly 3am.
Ally Wolf, general manager at the Clapham Grand told The Independent: “We’re going to put all of our trust in the Mexican weather. Failing that we’re going to put all of our trust in Keir Starmer that he’s so desperate to end on such a high that he personally is going to make a few phone calls and authorise all of us to continue to stay open until our wonderful football team bring it home.”
Fans watching the match in the shadow of Wembley Stadium said they will wait as long as it takes to see kick-off, after the Three Lion’s clash against Mexico was pushed back to 2am.
Kieran, 23, a finance assistant from Essex, said he will stay put at Wembley Boxpark, in north-west London, even if the match is delayed further.
“I think it’s annoying for England fans here but it’s probably beneficial for the England team,” he said.
“I will stay the whole time even if it’s delayed,” he added
Killey Harvey, a charity worker from west London, also said he will wait, despite having work at 10am on Monday.
The 49-year-old told PA: “I think that it is bad. It should have been earlier. The police are not happy with it because it causes extra trouble.
“I will stay because I want to seen them play. I’m here to enjoy the match,” he added.
Asked if he is worried he will be too tired to work, Mr Harvey said: “I do not care, this is my choice.”
Royal Mail has announced that 2,019 dog attacks on its staff were reported over the past year
Belfast is one of the most dangerous cities in the UK for postal workers being attacked by dogs.
Royal Mail has said that last year 37 postal workers were injured after being attacked by a dog in Belfast as 2,019 suffered injuries across the UK. It says this is an eight percent decrease on the previous year and while this is welcome, it means that 38 postal workers are injured every day.
This year also saw a reduction in attacks causing serious and significant injury to postal workers. There were 61 significant injuries recorded in 2025/26, compared with 74 the previous year — a 17% reduction. However, Royal Mail says the number of serious injuries remain a cause for concern.
Belfast is ranked the sixth most dangerous city in the UK for dog attacks on postal workers, with Sheffield taking the top spot with 61 dog attcks, followed by Doncaster and Guilford where there were 53.
There were 1,048 (52%) attacks at the front door, a 4% increase on the 1,005 last year. A further 511 (25%) dog attacks took place in the garden, drive or yard. There were 135 (7%) attacks in the street or road.
There were 324 injuries suffered through the letterbox – accounting for 16% of attacks on postal workers. Letterbox attacks were the subject of a 2020 High Court ruling that stated dog owners (or those in care of a dog) can be prosecuted if their pets have free access to the letterbox and cause injury to any delivery operative, whether the owner is at home or not.
Dog attacks on Royal Mail colleagues resulted in 3,442 days of absence in 2025/26 – with the longest period ongoing at 300+ days.Lizz Lloyd, Health & Safety Director at Royal Mail, said: “While it’s encouraging to see dog attacks on our colleagues fall by 8% last year, these incidents remain a serious risk to postal workers, resulting in painful injuries and lasting distress. Every attack is one too many.
“We continue to raise awareness of the issue among the public, but preventing attacks starts at the doorstep. We’re urging dog owners to take simple steps, such as keeping pets secure before opening the door, to help keep our people safe.”
The top 10 most dangerous cities for dog attacks on postal workers
1
S
Sheffield
61
2
DN
Doncaster
53
=
GU
Guildford
53
3
NE
Newcastle
50
=
PO
Portsmouth
50
4
NG
Nottingham
48
5
SA
Swansea
44
6
BT
Belfast
37
7
ME
Medway
36
8
TN
Tonbridge
35
=
YO
York
35
9
LE
Leicester
34
10
ST
Stoke-on-Trent
31
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NewsBeat
England vs Mexico: World Cup 2026 prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, odds today
Facing co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, the same stadium where Diego Maradona scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal for Argentina 40 years ago, will be a hugely challenging task.
Group A winners Mexico breezed past Ecuador 2-0 in a feisty encounter to reach the last 16 and will bring a similar physicality into this match.
Date, kick-off time and venue
It will take place at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Where to watch England vs Mexico for FREE
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live and free-to-air on BBC One, with coverage starting at 12am BST.
Live stream: UK viewers can also catch the contest live online via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert insight and analysis from England correspondent Dom Smith at the Azteca.
Free highlights: World Cup highlights are available on FIFA’s official YouTube channel, along with the BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
England vs Mexico team news
Impressively, Mexico have made it to this stage of the competition with no serious injuries in their squad.
Raul Jimenez, who recently returned to Wolves from Fulham, has enjoyed an impressive campaign so far, forming a tidy strike partnership with Julian Quinones.
The pair should continue in their roles here.
Wonderkid Gilberto Mora got the nod against Ecuador last time out and put in an impressive shift. He too should keep his place.
Mexico squad: Raul Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa, Israel Reyes, Jesús Gallardo, Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Mateo Chávez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Obed Vargas, Brian Gutiérrez, Orbelín Pineda, Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, César Huerta, Álvaro Fidalgo, Luis Chávez, Roberto Alvarado, Alexis Vega, Julián Quiñones, Santiago Gimenez, Guillermo Martínez, Armando González, Raúl Jiménez
Strike partners: Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez
Getty
There are decisions to be made in attack, too, after Anthony Gordon bagged two assists after coming off the bench to replace Marcus Rashford against DR Congo, while Bukayo Saka will also be pushing to start ahead of Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke.
England squad: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, John Stones, Jarell Quansah, Nico O’Reilly, Dan Burn, Djed Spence, Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Morgan Rogers, Kobbie Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon
Wide threat: Anthony Gordon is pushing to start against Mexico
Getty
England vs Mexico prediction
As soon as the World Cup groups were drawn last December, boffins realised the potential of England facing Mexico at the Azteca, and it was widely touted as a colossal banana skin.
Mexico have been in rich form this summer and, with tens of thousands of passionate home supporters behind them, will be extremely difficult to beat.
England were not entirely convincing as they left it late to beat DR Congo, but should have the talent to drown out the noise and get the job done in Mexico City for a famous win.
England to win 2-1, after extra time.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
This will be the first meeting between these two nations since Peter Crouch, Ledley King and Glen Johnson all scored for England in a 3-1 friendly win at Wembley in 2010.
England vs Mexico match odds
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Thomas Tuchel’s side face their toughest test yet at the World Cup as they take on Mexico for a place in the quarter-finals
England hope to keep their World Cup dream alive as they face tournament co-hosts Mexico in the Round of 16 on Sunday.
After opening the tournament with an impressive 4-2 win against Croatia, Thomas Tuchel’s side have been less than convincing in their performances since. A goalless draw with Ghana and a second-half surge to beat Panama saw the Three Lions ultimately top their group, but they failed to impress again against DR Congo, despite coming back from a goal down to win 2-1.
A meeting with Mexico in their capital city is undoubtedly the toughest task yet for Tuchel’s men, and for more reasons than one.
The co-hosts have won all four of their tournament fixtures so far, scoring eight goals and conceding none.
They are also unbeaten in their last 26 competitive matches and, astonishingly, have lost just two of the 89 competitive matches they have played at the Azteca Stadium – the venue for their clash with England – over the last 60 years.
Much has been made of the Mexicans’ incredible home record prior to kick-off, with the location of stadium itself putting their opponents at a major disadvantage.
The Azteca sits at 2,240 metres (7,220 feet) above sea level, with the altitude set to play a major role in determining a winner on Sunday night/Monday morning.
England arrived in Mexico City on Friday evening, giving them just 48 hours to adjust to the conditions that will await them at the Azteca. Generally, sports scientists recommend that athletes performing at altitude should undergo an extended acclimation period of at least two weeks.
In terms of how it will actually affect Tuchel’s team, the higher altitude means that the air is thinner and the barometric pressure lower, making it harder for oxygen to enter the bloodstream with each intake of breath.
Players are therefore expected to feel tired more quickly, while they will also experience greater energy depletion in their muscles.
“By 2,240m we’re definitely going to be seeing a physiological effect,” Dr Neil Maxwell, who is an expert in applied environmental physiology at the University of Brighton, told the Guardian.
“The forcing function of that [barometric] pressure, pushing the oxygen into your red blood cells, is reduced [at altitude]. And that’s the physiological challenge – they’re not getting the oxygen into the red blood cells.
“Because of that, their heart is having to beat quicker, they’re having to ventilate quicker to try and compensate. But obviously, there’s a limit to how much they can do that.”
On the impact that playing in the conditions over the course of 90 minutes will have, Dr Maxwell added: “The feeling that they may feel at the end, or towards the last quarter, of a match, they’re going to be feeling that in the first half.”
The last-16 clash kicks off at 1am Monday BST (6pm local time), after it emerged on Friday night that FIFA had considered bringing the game forward by several hours. However, it could still be delayed with heavy thunderstorms forecast for the area at that time.
Thunder and lightning near the Azteca Stadium has caused England’s last-16 World Cup knockout clash against Mexico to be delayed
England vs Mexico: Lightning at The Azteca as fans arrive
England’s last-16 World Cup clash against Mexico has been delayed an hour due to thunder and lightning near the Azteca Stadium. The match was due to kick off at 1am UK time (6pm local time), but with the threat of lightning in the area, the stadium activated its thunderstorm protocol less than an hour before then, and the game will now commence at 2am UK time (7pm local time).
A statement from FIFA confirmed: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 19.00 local time (21:00 EDT). The safety and security of all individuals is Fifa’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.”
The screens inside the Azteca Stadium displayed a message warning supporters about potentially severe weather. FIFA had told both teams to delay their arrivals at the stadium, but both Mexico and England still arrived at 11.30pm UK time.
The delay is another challenge for England to deal with ahead of a crunch match, where they have to battle Mexico’s home advantage and the altitude. But captain Harry Kane revealed the mood in the camp is one of excitement.
“This is as big as it gets, in a World Cup situation, a massive game, against a tough opponent,” he told the BBC.
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“We’re ready. We can’t wait to get out there. It’s been a good [reaction to us], they’re excited for the game, it’s not been hostile at all, a great occasion. They’re excited for it.”
Reacting to the delay, former England full-back Micah Richards said: “It is the nutrition side of things. For me because I was a player who did high intensity runs up and down, I would always make sure that three hours before the game I got exactly what I needed. For an hour delay maybe it won’t impact things too much, but towards the end of the game they might need a top up [of energy].”
Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, believes the adverse weather could be an advantage for England, adding: “It’s just keeping your focus, when you prepare for a game you expect it to be at the time your given, but with the conditions it’s not, so it’s just keeping your focus, not getting too caught up with it, and I think the players are professional enough, they’ve got good people around them, so I don’t think that will affect them that much.
“The one thing for me, where it would affect me is in terms of the food, I used to eat my food three hours before kick-off, so , but they’ll have snacks, they’ll have the stuff there to keep that ticking over.”
“I think the weather conditions will help England, I think in previous games they’ve been too open and they’ve chased a lot, they’ve tried to press high but they’ve not been connected. So, I think with the weather conditions and with the altitude I’d imagine Thomas Tuchel saying we need to be connected as a group, we need not to be chasing all over the place because, Mexico will look to start the game fast. So, I actually think it will work in the other way and be better for England.”
FIFA held discussions to bring the game forward by six hours, but that plan was scrapped following angry responses from both teams. And asked about the complicated build-up, Three Lions boss Tuchel said: “Like so often, it is so much noise. When you are inside of the bubble, it is actually quite calm, quite focused.
“And the bigger the stages, the bigger the noises, the calmer the preparation. I think the players were not even aware of a possible change of kickoffs and just this example shows you to not lose your heads.
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“We cannot influence it. Three-and-a-half hours later, you land in Mexico and the kickoff time stayed the same. It is just not worth losing our heads. Altitude: it is what it is. Home crowd: it is what it is. It is not in our favour.
“We need to overcome obstacles but we have the spirit, we have the commitment, the pure will and the glue between the team to overcome these things. That’s why I am positive. We know what’s coming. The players will feel it, we will all feel it tomorrow when the energy is on. But that’s also the beauty of it. We focus completely on what is possible to be influenced by us.”
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The crucial last-16 clash has been delayed after thunderstorms swept across Mexico City
England’s World Cup last-16 clash against Mexico has officially been delayed by at least an hour after severe thunderstorms swept across Mexico City.
The highly-anticipated fixture was scheduled to kick off at 1am BST (6pm local time) but has now been pushed back until at least 2am BST, with officials – who have been monitoring the weather closely – set to then reassess the conditions. If they are still considered unsafe, further 30-minute delays could then be implemented until it is deemed safe for the game to go ahead.
Announcing the development live on the BBC, presenter Kelly Cates – who moments earlier had told viewers the game looked set to get started on time – confirmed that kick-off had been delayed by an hour.
Interrupting pundit Wayne Rooney, Cates said: “We have breaking news, which is that kick-off – having told you about 30 seconds ago it was about to get underway as planned – looks like it’s going to be delayed by an hour.”
It comes after the Azteca Stadium’s electrical storm safety protocol was triggered by the thunder, lightning and torrential rain that swept across the Mexican capital three hours before the scheduled kick-off.
Under those rules, officials suspended access to the pitch, with nobody allowed onto the playing surface while the storm continued and media representatives ordered to stay inside until conditions improved.
Supporters were also prevented from entering the stadium, while the arrival of both teams was also delayed in light of the conditions, with those in the stadium describing the thunder as “deafening”.
The delay will not only disrupt both teams’ preparations for the crucial knockout match, but will mean a long night for fans in England, with there now a chance that the game may not finish until gone 4am, or perhaps even later.
It also follows discussions that took place earlier this week over bringing the fixture forward to midday local time because of forecasts predicting severe weather later in the day.
According to reports, concerns extended beyond the forecast, with Mexican government officials also said to have raised security issues following the crowd crush that occurred after Mexico’s victory over Ecuador, in which four people lost their lives.
Senior officials approached FIFA on Thursday to discuss moving the kick-off time in an effort to reduce the risk of a repeat of those scenes.
However, the Football Association is believed to have resisted the proposal because of the disruption it would have caused to England supporters’ travel plans.
The Mexican Football Federation also opposed the change.
Ahead of kick-off, BBC meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker gave an update on conditions around the Azteca Stadium, as he said: “Thunderstorms and shower clouds have been developing around Mexico City in the last few hours.
“On social media there are reports of downpours affecting parts of the city, however it is difficult to verify if lightning has been occurring close to the football ground itself.
“The showers are likely to continue to grow, threatening disruption. All eyes on the horizon and fingers crossed the storms stay well away, but it’s a close call. Any storms are likely to linger for hours.”
Etna stands around 11,050ft above sea level and is about 22 miles in diameter, although volcanic activity has altered the mountain’s height over time.
Occasionally, Catania Airport, the largest airport in eastern Sicily, has to close for hours or even days when volcanic ash makes flying in the area dangerous.
With Etna’s lava flows largely contained to its uninhabited slopes, life continues in towns and villages elsewhere on the mountain. The volcano also supports fertile farmland and attracts tourists.
The volcano has inspired ancient Greek legends. An eruption in 396 BC has been credited with keeping the Carthaginian army at bay.
In 1669, during what is considered the volcano’s worst known eruption, lava buried parts of Catania, about 15 miles away, and devastated dozens of villages. Another eruption, in 1928, cut off a rail route circling the mountain’s base.
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