England fans have been told to brace for a bumpy night, with reports from the ground in Mexico City suggesting the last-16 tie against Mexico may not get away on schedule.
Thomas Tuchel 's side face the co-hosts in their World Cup Round of 16 clash at 6pm local time on Sunday, meaning UK supporters are looking at a 1am kick-off.
FIFA had spent several hours in talks about shifting the game forward to 7pm UK time before scrapping the idea, but forecasters and reporters on site say the original slot still carries real risk.
Presenter Warns of Severe Storms
TalkSPORT's Olivia Buzaglo, reporting from Mexico City on Saturday, described torrential rain and repeated lightning strikes hitting the city less than 24 hours before kick-off, saying conditions made it seem "absolutely no way the game kicks off at 6pm tomorrow."
Journalist Paul Brown posted similar footage of the downpour, noting the sheer intensity of the thunder overhead.
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Mexico's last-32 win over Ecuador was already delayed by an hour due to a storm, and Buzaglo believes England's game could face a similar delay.
BBC Weather Backs Up the Concerns
BBC lead weather presenter Ben Rich explained that daily storms are typical for Mexico City this time of year, but Sunday's setup looks more volatile than usual.
He pointed to an unstable atmosphere driven by pressure troughs moving over central Mexico, which he said "will allow the air to rise rapidly β forming the big cumulonimbus clouds that produce thunderstorms."
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Rich added that storm activity typically peaks in the late afternoon and evening, which lines up almost exactly with the scheduled kick-off, and that hail can't be ruled out either.
A midday start, he noted, would have carried a smaller β though not zero β risk of disruption.
Why the Kick-Off Change Was Scrapped
FIFA's original motivation wasn't just the weather β the governing body was reportedly acting on fan-safety concerns after four people died following crowd issues at Mexico's last World Cup match in the same city.
But the FA and Mexican federation pushed back over the impact on travel , logistics and player preparation, and the plan was dropped.
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Mexico boss Javier Aguirre had been unhappy at the prospect of losing preparation time, saying simply: "Fifa organises, Fifa decides, and I comply."
England topped Group L unbeaten before needing a late Harry Kane brace to see off DR Congo in the last 32. Mexico, meanwhile, have not conceded a goal all tournament, beating Ecuador 2-0 to set up Sunday's clash.
Whatever happens with the weather, kick-off remains locked in for 6pm local time β for now.
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