The World Cup defies nature.. Why did FIFA withdraw from amending the date of the Mexico-England summit? | sports

The curtain has come down on the existing controversy over changing the date of the match between Mexico and England in the round of 16 of the World Cup. After lengthy and complex discussions, which witnessed direct intervention from the English Football Association, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) backed down from amending the timing of the anticipated confrontation in the Mexican capital, to start at three o’clock in the morning on Monday, Mecca time.

This decision came after FIFA raised serious concerns about possible weather disturbances, including the risk of floods. This opened the door to discussion about the feasibility of moving the match held at the ancient “Azteca” stadium away from its scheduled time of six o’clock in the evening, local time.

According to “The Athletic” website, it was also decided to keep the date of the Brazil-Norway confrontation in the same round, which was subject to change depending on the other match, to start at its specified time at 11 o’clock on Sunday night, Mecca time, on the floor of “MetLife Stadium.”

The Mexican and Brazilian federations had confirmed that there were ongoing talks to reschedule the two matches before FIFA settled on the original dates.

Scheduling coordination and weather concerns

This was not the first time that the weather cast a shadow on the World Cup competitions. The kick-off for the match between Mexico and Ecuador in the round of 32 was postponed for a full hour due to thunderstorms and lightning. However, Aaron Mintkowski, meteorologist and forecast chief for ABC affiliate WKBW, believes the forecast indicates normal summer weather in Mexico City; The probability of rain and evening thunderstorms this Sunday is 80%, which is a very normal rate in July, with the exclusion of any significant change within 48 hours.

The technical report stated that at 12 noon local time (the previously suggested date), the sky will be partly cloudy with a temperature of 73 F (23 C), while at 6 p.m. (the official time) it will be recorded at 65 F (18 C) with a rainfall rate of 60%.

Mintkowski pointed out that cities such as the Miami Olympics, Philadelphia, and Kansas hosted matches that witnessed thunderstorms without changing their dates. The match between France and Iraq in the groups was stopped for a full 131 minutes in Philadelphia, and Saturday’s match between France and Paraguay will be held in the same city under a warning of a severe heat wave reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit, without any changes.

The 2026 World Cup regulations stipulate that FIFA has the right to cancel, reschedule, or transfer one or more matches at its sole discretion for reasons of safety or force majeure.

Azteca Stadium in Mexico (French)

English confusion and security measures

The English Football Association learned of the news through journalists during a training session after the news first spread in the Mexican media, which caused confusion. The British government had granted an exceptional permit to pubs to remain open until five in the morning to enable the public to follow the meeting.

In Mexico City, the authorities imposed a security cordon and roadblocks around the England team’s hotel to secure the delegation and avoid harassment from Mexican fans, which the Ecuadorian team had previously suffered from by launching fireworks and revving car engines throughout the night.

England national team players during a training session in preparation for the match with Mexico (Reuters)

The Mexican camp was angry

In Mexico City, the authorities imposed a security cordon and roadblocks around the England team’s hotel to secure the delegation and avoid harassment from Mexican fans, which the Ecuadorian team had previously suffered from by launching fireworks and revving car engines throughout the night.

On the technical level, Mexico coach Javier Aguirre expressed his extreme anger to Radio Formula for not consulting him, stressing that his team preferred to play in the evening, and that advancing the time would have complicated the recovery of two players suffering from bruises.

The path of the teams to the final price

The four teams reached this round after a different journey. England, led by Thomas Tuchel, topped its group with two victories over Croatia and Panama and a draw with Ghana, then surpassed the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 32 with a brace from Harry Kane.

As for Mexico, it achieved full marks in its group and eliminated Ecuador in the round of 32. On the other hand, Brazil qualified with a draw with Morocco and two wins over Haiti and Scotland, then defeated Japan with a fatal goal by Gabriel Martelli, while Norway passed as runner-up in a group that included France and surpassed Côte d’Ivoire with a fatal goal in the round of 32.