Pubs and police brace for England-Mexico 1am kick-off after Fifa U-turn

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Pubs and police brace for England-Mexico 1am kick-off after Fifa U-turnImage source, PA MediaByMatt SpiveyPublished4 July 2026, 10:46 BSTUpdated 8 minutes agoEngland's early morning World Cup match against Mexico will kick off as originally planned at 01:00BST (18:00 local time) on Monday, after Fifa U-turned on a plan to bring it forward by six hours due to thunderstorms. Sources told Sport on Friday evening the fixture at Mexico City Stadium had been set to be moved to 19:00 BST on Sunday - but within hours football's governing body decided against it. The last-16 knockout match will not finish until 03:00 at the earliest and businesses, schools, and the emergency services are preparing accordingly.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday pubs will be able to stay open until 05:00 which could spell a difficult Monday morning for many. Five and a half hours that left England's World Cup tie in chaos Published8 hours agoTuchel wants young England fans to stay up for 1am World Cup clash - but should they? Published1 day agoBBC offers 'Stay Up or Catch Up' for England v Mexico Published23 hours agoThe now rejected earlier kick off was said to be due to thunderstorms in Mexico which tend to peak around, or just after, the highest temperatures of the day during the late afternoon and early evening.

The Details

The Football Association had also been involved in planning and security discussions after four people died following Mexico's last-32 victory over Ecuador in Mexico City on Tuesday. An earlier kick-off time time would have allowed the match to take place before the worst of any thunderstorms - and ruined the plans of many England fans arriving in Mexico City for the game. News of the proposed changes angered officials, Mexico manager Javier Aguirre described it as "a kick in the stomach".

Image source, PA MediaImage caption, England fans already in Mexico City are soaking up the atmosphere with rival supportersEngland fans travelling to Mexico City for the match may be relieved they don't have to move their plans around. More than 3,000 England fans are set to attend the fixture at the Azteca, which holds 87,000. Travel plans are often finalised months in advance, and changing them at short notice can be costly to supporters.

Owen Pickering, who is travelling to Mexico with his sons, aged seven, 16 and 23, told 's Radio 4 Today programme on Saturday it was "lucky it all changed". If the kick-off had moved to 12:00 local time they "wouldn't have made the match", he said. He explained his journey includes a flight to Orlando, Florida, today and then from Tampa to Mexico on Sunday, landing around 11:00 - which would have meant he and the eight others he is travelling with would have missed the game.

Pickering arranged for his children to miss school, costing £160 each, and he "took a gamble" on England winning the group stage and spent £1,300 on the flights. "The whole thing has been very expensive," he added.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.