FIFA Spent All Day Moving England vs. Mexico… Only to Put It Right Back Where It Started
If you ever need proof that even the biggest sporting organization in the world occasionally has no idea what it’s doing, allow FIFA to present Exhibit A.
England versus Mexico.
The Round of 16 showdown.
The biggest match of the weekend.
And somehow, Friday’s biggest storyline wasn’t Thomas Tuchel, Mexico’s home-field advantage or the threat of thunderstorms over Mexico City.
It was… the kickoff time.
Reports surfaced Friday morning that FIFA was considering moving Sunday’s match from its scheduled 6 p.m. local kickoff all the way to noon because of severe weather concerns. Coaches scrambled. Fans panicked. Broadcasters started looking at schedules. Everyone collectively wondered, “Wait… what?”
Then came the pushback.
Mexico manager Javier Aguirre blasted the potential move, saying it would wreck months of planning. England wasn’t exactly thrilled either, with Tuchel’s squad already trying to balance travel, altitude and preparation in Mexico City.
Then…
Nothing.
After what felt like an entire business day of chaos, FIFA ultimately landed on a revolutionary solution:
Play the game exactly when it was originally scheduled.
Groundbreaking stuff.
Now, here’s where things get interesting.
Sunday also happens to feature the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio, which airs on FOX. FOX has invested heavily in IndyCar, and the series’ marquee races are contractually carried on the main FOX network rather than FS1. While FIFA has never suggested the race influenced its decision-making—and weather concerns were the stated reason for considering a change in the first place—the network’s already-packed Sunday schedule certainly didn’t make life any easier for anyone trying to shuffle kickoff times. Any overlap or major shift would have created another logistical headache in an already complicated television window.
In the end, common sense prevailed.
At least until the first lightning strike.
Because if storms roll into Estadio Azteca on Sunday evening, FIFA’s weather protocols could still delay kickoff anyway. So after all that… we may end up waiting regardless.
One person who probably won’t care what time the match starts is Warren Barton, the king of football commentary.
Whether kickoff is at noon, 6 p.m. or sometime next Tuesday, the former England defender is still going to spend 90 minutes reminding defenders that conceding soft goals is football’s version of a misdemeanor.
And honestly?
He’s right.
As for Tuchel, he can finally stop checking his phone every 15 minutes wondering if his team is kicking off in six hours… or six minutes.
FIFA eventually got to the correct answer.
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