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The earliest the match will now finish will be around 4.00am

A general view before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Mexico and England at Mexico City Stadium(Image: Getty Images)

England's World Cup clash against Mexico has been delayed by at least an hour, it has been confirmed. The match was originally set to kick off in Mexico City at 1.00am UK time.

However, after hours of uncertainty due to heavy rain and forcasted storms, it has now been confirmed the game has been moved back to at least 2.00am due to the weather in the local area.

The move puts England fans across Teesside and the rest of the country in a tricky position whether they're heading out to pubs or watching at home. Many pubs in the region are opening ovenight for the match.

A FIFA statement read: "Due to adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, including risk caused by lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between Mexico and England has been delayed to 7.00pm local time (2.00am UK time).

"The safety and security of all individuals is FIFA's priority. We thank all fans for their understanding and cooperation."

The earliest the match will now finish will be around 4.00am. Extra time and penalties could lead to a finish close to 5.00am, and that's if the match gets underway at the new kick-off time of 2.00am.

There had been speculation on Friday that the game could be moved to an earlier kick off. This would have seen the game kick off at 7pm UK time on Sunday. The winner of this game will play Norway, who beat Brazil 2-1 on Sunday evening.

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