England’s World Cup 2026 last 16 match against Mexico has been delayed due to an electrical storm at the Azteca Stadium.
The last-16 tie was due to kick-off at 6pm local time (1am BST) in Mexico City but with both teams’ arrival at the stadium delayed due to severe weather, Fifa have confirmed that the match will not start on time.
A new kick-off time is set for 02:00 BST (7pm local time), though that could be pushed back even further if lightning remains in the vicinity of the stadium.
The first rumblings of a thunderstorm started around 2:30pm local time, while fans were not permitted entry into the 80,000-seater stadium at 3pm due to heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
The stadium’s specific electrical storm protocol was enacted, advising fans and officials to take cover.
This comes two days after Fifa considered shifting the kick-off time to midday, due to severe weather on the forecast. At midday, it was sunny and dry in Mexico City.
Under tournament safety rules, any lightning strikes detected within eight miles of the stadium result in an automatic 30-minute delay to play, something that affected France’s group-stage clash with Iraq.
More significantly, Mexico’s last game at the Azteca, against Ecuador on Tuesday, was delayed by one hour due to dangerous lightning activity in the vicinity. The tournament safety rules are set in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The winner of the match will face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday after their 2-1 win over Brazil.
