England can book their place in the World Cup quarter finals tonight but face several challenges beyond the Mexico team, including potential weather delays. The Three Lions are ready to face their rivals at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, with the kick-off time in the UK remaining at 1am despite suggestions FIFA were planning to move the game forward by six hours — a move met with anger from both camps.
Thunderstorm Threat Looms Over Azteca Stadium
There had been concerns that a storm could impact the match, with the weather still showing thunderstorms in Mexico City in the hours leading up to kick-off at 6pm local time. However, there are hopes that the game itself won't be impacted too greatly after the latest forecasts suggest storms could ease off by the time the game is scheduled to get underway.
When Would the Game Be Delayed by Weather?
We don't have to look back far in the World Cup tournament to when bad weather saw the Mexico v Ecuador game pushed back an hour. Rules at the tournament state that a game must be delayed if lightning strikes within eight miles of the stadium. There then needs to be a 30-minute period without a strike before the game can restart. If that happens, already exhausted England fans will be in for a very late night indeed.
What Time Will England v Mexico Finish?
If the weather holds up and there are no lightning strikes, then it all comes down to the players. Option 1: If all goes as hoped, England will have secured their win by around 2:55am UK time. Option 2: But if the score is tied after 90 minutes, knockout rules see an additional 30 minutes of extra time added, which with breaks could add another 40 minutes to the game. If that happens and the tie is broken, the final whistle is expected around 3:35am. Option 3: If the teams are still deadlocked after 120 minutes, the winner is ultimately decided by a penalty shootout. Both teams take five alternating spot-kicks, quickly progressing to sudden death if the scores remain perfectly tied. That could add at least 20 minutes, taking the final finish time to roughly 3:55am.
