England's World Cup clash with Mexico at risk as concerning update emerges

England’s World Cup Round of 16 clash against Mexico is at risk of being delayed after a concerning update emerged.

Having progressed from their Round of 32 tie with a 2-1 victory over DR Congo on July 1, Thomas Tuchel’s side are now preparing to face co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Mexico City Stadium – formerly known as the Estadio Azteca – on Monday (July 6).

Mexico have lost just two of their last 89 competitive matches at the stadium, which sits 2,240 metres above sea level. The location of the ground means the air is thinner, making it more difficult for players who are not accustomed to the altitude to breathe.

So far during the tournament, England have played all of their matches in the United States, while Mexico have played three times at the Mexico City Stadium and once at Guadalajara Stadium, winning all four of their fixtures.

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Ahead of the Round of 16 clash, there has already been confusion over the kick-off time. On Friday (July 3), reports surfaced suggesting FIFA wanted to bring the fixture forward by six hours to 7pm (BST), rather than its original slot of 1am, due to forecasts of storms.

After talks between FIFA, the FA and the Mexican football authorities, global football's governing body appeared to back down, with the match now set to take place at its original time of 1am despite the confusion.

England vs Mexico kick-off could still be moved

But the kick-off could yet be altered again, according to Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol, who said there is "an 80 per cent chance of thunderstorms" during the match.

"What I'm telling you is that FIFA has decided, for the time being, that the game will kick off as originally planned at 1 a.m. UK time, but we're being told there's an 80 per cent chance of thunderstorms,” he said.

"If there are storms, if there is lightning, then the players would be led back into the dressing room. The fans would be asked to return to the concourses to stay away from the threat of lightning. The game would be held up.

"I'm just telling you that last summer, when there were games in the United States, there were delays of up to two, two and a half hours.

"Now, if that happens tomorrow, say the game doesn't kick off at 1 a.m. because there are storms and there's lightning, the game may kick off later. I don't know. These are hypothetical assumptions depending on what happens with the weather.

"What happens if the game kicks off at 3 a.m.? What happens if it goes to extra time? What happens if there are penalties?

"That is why I'm saying to you that you should prepare for the possibility of this game not kicking off at 1 a.m., and also the possibility that it could last a lot longer than a normal World Cup knockout match. That could happen purely because of this threat of extreme weather here tomorrow evening."

FIFA rules, based on local authority requirements set out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), state that a game must be halted or delayed if lightning strikes within eight miles of a stadium, with fans removed from their seats.

All players must leave the pitch and seek shelter before being allowed a short warm-up ahead of the resumption of play once they are permitted to return to the field.

The match can only resume once there has been no lightning for a period of 30 minutes.

Official NOAA guidance states that activities must be stopped when "you see lightning", "you hear thunder", or "the skies look threatening".

Both France vs Iraq in Philadelphia and Mexico vs Ecuador have been impacted by extreme weather during the tournament, with the former suspended for almost two hours, while the latter's kick-off was delayed by around an hour.

According to BBC Weather, there is a 59 per cent chance of rain during England’s Round of 16 clash in Mexico City, rising to 71 per cent by the second half, when thunderstorms are also forecast.

AccuWeather’s summary states: "Cloudy with occasional rain and a thunderstorm later in the afternoon."