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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Jamie Spencer

How Mexico vs. England Kickoff Debate Led to Five Hours of Chaos

The 2026 World Cup round of 16 match between Mexico and England at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday is still expected to kick off at the originally scheduled time of 6 p.m. (local), 7 p.m. ET.

The World Cup calendar descended into chaos on Friday when local reports first revealed FIFA was actively considering moving kickoff forward several hours. World soccer’s governing body reserves the right to unilaterally alter the schedule and the potential for thunderstorms and flooding in Mexico City during the match prompted a plan to shift the start time from 6 p.m. to midday.

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