BBC make huge England v Mexico call ahead of 1am World Cup tie

The BBC has announced a game-changing move for the broadcasting of England's World Cup round of 16 clash with Mexico.

The fixture at the Azteca Stadium kicks off at 1am Monday morning, with Thomas Tuchel has urged parents to allow their children to stay up to watch the clash.

The kick-off time presents a huge problem for those watching back home on these shores and prompted outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce pubs will be allowed to extend their opening hours until 5am.

Of course, many England fans still have work on Monday morning and there is also the fact that staying up until the crack of dawn is not an easy task.

But the BBC has provided a smart solution to the dilemma.

Having shared games with the ITV, the BBC will have live coverage for a second England knockout game in a row, yet with the inconvenient kick-off time, it's been confirmed that the broadcaster are also accommodating those who are unable to tune in live.

They will show a re-run of the game at 7:10am on BBC Two, with the programme absent of any spoilers.

READ MORE: England vs. Mexico could be delayed as nightmare pub scenario for fans emerge

On the BBC iPlayer, a full re-run on demand will also be available slightly earlier from 6am.

It means that if fans avoid going on their phone and simply whack on the re-run, whether on BBC Two or the iPlayer, they can watch it as if it was live and enjoy their cereal and brew while having no idea about the result.

The BBC have called the new initiative "Stay Up or Catch Up' and described it as "the most comprehensive catch-up experience BBC Sport has ever offered for a World Cup knockout match, ensuring audiences don’t have to choose between a good night's sleep and missing one of the biggest games of the FIFA World Cup tournament so far".

Kelly Cates will anchor the BBC's coverage, with former England trio Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards providing punditry in the Media City studio.

Guy Mowbray and Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer will be the commentary pairing high up in the Azteca gantry.

The win over Congo, which was a 5pm kick-off, had a peak audience of 16.3 million - the biggest live television audience of 2026.

England's World Cup clash with Mexico could be delayed due to weather

The Mexico clash will likely not finish until at least 3am - with extra time and penalties potentially keeping fans up even later.

However there could be a further delay, as according to the Met Office forecast, thunderstorms are expected to begin an hour before kick-off in Mexico City.

The storms are due between between 17:00 and 19:00 in the Mexico capital and that could push back kick-off as FIFA activate their protocol.

Under that protocol, a World Cup game must be halted or delayed if lightning strikes within eight miles of a stadium, with fans removed from their seats.

There is no set time for the delay but players can return to the pitch if there has been no lightning for 30 minutes.

A lengthy delay could cause chaos in pubs as England as the final whistle may be dangerously close to the strict 5am closing time.