Lead

Mexico's World Cup round-of-16 match against England at the Estadio Azteca will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday, kicking off at 6pm local time (00:00 GMT on Sunday), sources told Al Jazeera. The confirmation comes after several media outlets reported on Friday that the fixture could be rescheduled to avoid inclement weather, though FIFA did not confirm any changes.

Coverage Comparison

Two outlets gave differing accounts of the match's status. Al Jazeera, citing unnamed sources, reported that no decision had been made to reschedule the kickoff and that the match would proceed as originally planned. In contrast, France 24 — English reported that local media said the clash would be moved to noon local time (18:00 GMT) and that FIFA was believed to be holding discussions over the change due to the risk of extreme weather.

Both outlets noted that Mexico's last-32 match against Ecuador earlier this week was delayed due to rain. France 24 — English also reported that FIFA neither confirmed nor denied that the kickoff time had been changed.

Key Claims

  • Sources told Al Jazeera that no decision was made to reschedule the kickoff time of the Mexico-England match, which remains set for 6pm local time at the Estadio Azteca.
  • France 24 — English reported that local media said the match may be moved to noon local time, citing sources with knowledge of the matter, and that FIFA was discussing the change due to extreme weather risk.
  • FIFA did not confirm any schedule changes, according to both Al Jazeera and France 24 — English.
  • Mexico's last-32 match against Ecuador earlier this week was delayed due to rain, as reported by both outlets.
  • England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged Mexico's advantage due to altitude, according to Al Jazeera. The capital's altitude keeps conditions cooler than many other World Cup venues, and forecasts for Sunday point to temperatures of about 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) at midday under a high UV index.
  • A change in kickoff time could have transformed playing conditions, moving the match from the relative cool of an evening kickoff to the strongest sunshine and highest temperatures of the day, as reported by Al Jazeera.
  • A change to the Mexico-England fixture would in turn have affected the timing of Brazil's match against Norway in New York, which was scheduled for 4pm local time (20:00 GMT), according to Al Jazeera.