French press reports have revealed the latest developments regarding the timing of the England vs. Mexico match in the Round of 16 of the World Cup, after a controversy arose about the possibility of postponing it due to bad weather conditions.
According to the newspaper Foot Mercato, FIFA was initially considering delaying the start of the match to 7 PM British time and 9 PM Cairo time, in light of warnings of expected thunderstorms in Mexico City, to ensure the safety of players and fans.
It added that FIFA ultimately backed down from this proposal, and the match is now set to take place at its original time, after strong objections from various concerned parties.
The reports explained that the English and Mexican federations clearly rejected the idea of changing the match time, considering the decision to be sudden, which prompted FIFA to reinstate the original schedule, while keeping the possibility of making any last-minute changes if weather conditions necessitate it.
England had achieved victory in the Round of 32 of the World Cup against the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a score of 2-1, while Mexico defeated Ecuador with a clean two-goal win, setting up a meeting between the two sides in the Round of 16.
