Mexico v England puts fans in the UK in a difficult position with the World Cup last 16 tie taking place at 1am on Monday 6 July.
With the tournament taking place on the other side of the planet, many games have been kicking off after midnight in the UK, another difficulty is avoiding the overnight results when looking for highlights.
The BBC and ITV have the rights to all 104 games in the UK and both broadcasters have made their highlights spoiler-free on their respective streaming sights, BBC iPlayer and ITV X.
On both platforms, the thumbnail does not show the result. You’ll want to go the World Cup hub on iPlayer, or just the main home page on ITV X. Fifa’s highlights page also offers the same package.
For this game in particular, with Thomas Tuchel’s side ready to tackle the notorious Azteca atmosphere and altitude in Mexico City, fans can actually watch the game in its entirety on Monday morning from 6am BST.
But the BBC has also confirmed that it will show the game again from 7.10am BST on Monday, meaning any fans not going out to watch the match, with pubs permitted to stay open until 5am BST, can avoid spoilers and start their week with plenty of sleep from the night before.
“World Cup knockout football is absolutely unmissable, but a 1am kick-off isn’t realistic for everyone,” Alex Kay-Jelski, the director of BBC Sport, said.
“We wanted to make sure there was an option for those fans who just can’t stay up to experience one of England’s biggest matches live. So, whether you’re staying up to watch every minute live or waking up to catch every moment spoiler-free, BBC Sport has you covered this Monday.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel had previously urged parents to let their children stay up to watch the game – even if it meant missing school.
A full rerun of the match will be available on the BBC iPlayer from 6am BST on Monday. Kelly Cates will present the programme, with former England internationals Wayne Rooney, Micah Richards and Joe Hart providing punditry.
YouTube can be more of a minefield, with thumbnails and headlines often giving away the result or at least a clue as to what unfolded the previous evening. ITV’s are safer than the BBC’s, though, as they make sure they avoid the scoreline in the thumbnail. With Mexico v England on the BBC, YouTube might be one to swerve, with the iPlayer or the re-run more likely to ensure fans avoid knowing the result.
Every single game in the competition will be available to watch on free-to-air TV for UK viewers.
