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According to the latest report from the FourFourTwo weather studio, the weather outlook in Mexico City is far from favourable.

Supporters of England have been watching the situation closely to determine whether the storm conditions in Mexico City could push tonight’s World Cup fixture to an even later hour.

Thomas Tuchel’s England side were scheduled to meet Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca in the round of 16 at 6pm local time (1am UK time). However, the start time has now been moved back to 7pm local time (2am UK time).

Severe storms in the region have raised uncertainty over whether the match will begin as planned and how long it may take to complete if weather interruptions persist during play.

Owing to safety considerations, FIFA’s storm protocols have been activated. These regulations prohibit play if lightning is detected within eight miles of the stadium and require a minimum of 30 minutes without any lightning strikes before the match can resume or begin.

This means that if lightning is present near the venue as fans are entering, kick-off must be postponed. Likewise, if lightning occurs during the match, players will be escorted off the pitch and play will remain suspended until 30 minutes after the last recorded strike.

There have already been similar incidents during this World Cup. The France vs Iraq group-stage fixture in Philadelphia was delayed for nearly two hours after a thunderstorm struck during half-time, while Mexico’s previous match against Ecuador at the Estadio Azteca in the round of 32 was delayed by an hour before commencing.

Both the England and Mexico squads arrived at the stadium approximately 95 minutes ahead of the original kick-off time, as planned.

FIFA later confirmed in an official statement that the start of the game has been postponed by one hour, now set for 7pm local time (2am UK time).

The statement read: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including the risk posed by lightning near the stadium, the kick-off of the World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 19.00 local time (21:00 EDT). The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA’s priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation.”

According to AccuWeather, no additional thunderstorms are expected before the rescheduled kick-off, but another storm may develop between 8pm and 9pm local time.

This suggests that the match could still be underway if the second storm emerges, potentially forcing players to return to the dressing rooms until conditions improve.

A coveted quarter-final berth is at stake for the winner, who will face Norway after their surprising victory over Brazil earlier in the evening.

Mexico have won all four of their tournament games so far without conceding a single goal.

England began the campaign impressively with a 4-2 triumph over Croatia but were later held to a goalless draw by Ghana and required late goals against both Panama and DR Congo to advance to this stage.