Has England vs Mexico been postponed?

The latest on the World Cup round of 16 game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City

The kick-off time England's meeting with Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 has been delayed after storm protocols were activated at Estadio Azteca.

The two sides were set to meet at 6pm local time (1am UK time) after FIFA's proposal to move the game forward to an earlier kick-off were postponed by both England and Mexico.

But a storm rolled through Mexico City around three hours before kick-off, and would need to clear before the game can get under way.

Under FIFA protocol, neither fans nor players will be admitted into the stadium if the lightning has been recorded within eight miles of the ground at the time doors are due to open.

At least 30 minutes will need to pass since the last recorded lightning strike in that perimeter before play can be passed to go ahead - with the same rule applying if another storm breaks out during play.

Journalist Tariq Panja reported on BlueSky just over three hours before kick-off that the protocol had been activated at Estadio Azteca.

Reports elsewhere suggested around an hour later that the teams had been told not to travel to the stadium; however, the teams arrived at around 4:25pm, as scheduled.

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The storm was forecast to clear before kick-off but has now been confirmed that the kick-off time will now take place at 7pm (2am UK time).

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 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."

At time of writing, AccuWeather's forecast for Mexico City is for further thundery conditions sometime between 8pm and 9pm.

That could well affect the game while it's in process, as occurred with France's meeting with Iraq in the group stage. Half time ended up lasting for around two hours on that occasion in Philadelphia.

That means England fans waiting up to the game live will end up having even more of a late night than they bargained for.

It could also be bad news for pub-going fans back home. Pubs have been given permission to stay open until 5am.

Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.