Pele summed up Brazil’s famous ‘Ginga’ style perfectly by explaining that “the head talks to the heart and the heart talks to the feet”. It is a description that captures the spellbinding way the legendary forward played the game, especially during his unforgettable performances at the 1970 World Cup.

England have also produced several thrilling attacking players who entertained crowds with their flair. Stanley Matthews was among the most graceful dribblers the sport has seen and was a footballer Pele insisted “taught us how football should be played”.

Paul Gascoigne, John Barnes and Bobby Charlton were other England stars capable of lighting up a match with the ball at their feet. However, Pele believed one Englishman in particular possessed Brazilian-style flair, while also suggesting he needed to look to Ronaldinho as an example of how to use those skills at the right moments.

Pele On Brazilian-esque England Star

Pele frequently made clear how much he admired the Premier League and claimed in 2016 that it was the “most important” league in the world. By then, England’s top division had fully grown into the global force fans recognise today, attracting the biggest audience of any league around the world.

A host of household names played their part in reshaping English football, including Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Kevin De Bruyne. There were also other gifted players who made a major impact during the “Barclays” era, particularly those operating in wide attacking roles.

Pele watched a number of Premier League matches in person before his death on December 29, 2022. The king of football was at Stamford Bridge in January 2006, where one Chelsea player stood out to him against Charlton Athletic. He told Sky Sports:

Chelsea led 1-0 at the interval thanks to Eidur Gudjohnsen’s opening goal, but Joe Cole was the player who had really captured Pele’s attention. The London-born forward was midway through the third of his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge, and it proved to be the strongest campaign of his Chelsea career.

Cole played a starring role in Jose Mourinho’s side as they retained the Premier League title, while he was also named Chelsea’s Player of the Year. He had a remarkable range of tricks, but Pele warned that he had to use them wisely:

Chelsea eventually drew 1-1 with Charlton after Ricardo Carvalho was sent off, and Pele believed Cole almost cost his team the result:

Those eye-catching displays across the 2005-06 season helped Cole earn a place in England’s squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was one of the Three Lions’ brighter performers in Germany, scoring a spectacular volley against Sweden, although that moment ultimately proved to be the peak of a slightly underwhelming international career.

Hasselbaink: Cole Wasn’t Appreciated Enough in England

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shared a Chelsea dressing room with Cole for a year as his own time at Stamford Bridge was entering its final stages. The Dutch striker saw the English playmaker’s creativity first-hand and felt he deserved far more appreciation in his home country.

He told Sky Sports in November 2018 when Cole announced his retirement aged 37:

Cole’s only spell as a regular starter at a major international tournament came at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Outside of that competition, he was often left among the substitutes and used only sparingly across many of his 56 England appearances.

The former West Ham United favourite still had an excellent career, but injuries repeatedly disrupted his progress and may have stopped him from fully reaching his ceiling. Hasselbaink’s argument that England were “missing” a player of Cole’s type rang true for several years, although exciting talents such as Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers have since come through.

After early reports suggested FIFA were set to announce a change to the kick-off time for England’s match against Mexico on Sunday night, bringing the fixture forward by six hours, there has been a new update. Preparations for the World Cup Round of 16 tie have hardly gone according to plan.

For the Three Lions, pre-match preparations have revolved around finding ways to deal with the challenges posed by the altitude, as well as their opponent’s imperious home form, which has seen them lose just twice across their previous 89 matches at the Azteca Stadium. Meanwhile, off the pitch, they have been trying to keep the location of their hotel under wraps to avoid the same disruptions Ecuador experienced as fans ambushed their base before their Round of 32 clash.

Both the Mexican and English governing bodies were then left baffled on Friday evening by reports in local media that their match would be played at midday in Mexico City, meaning temperatures of 35 degrees would give Thomas Tuchel’s side even more food for thought. Thunderstorm forecasts were initially given as the reason, but uncertainty around the whole fiasco quickly ensued.

Fresh Update Emerges Amid Rumours of England vs Mexico Time Change

According to Ben Jacobs, the original kick-off time stands, meaning it will remain a 1am kickoff in the UK. Theories around why the speculation around a major change to fixture scheduling include the BBC and ITV wishing to have a more favourable broadcasting time, to some suggestions that security issues had played a role.

While the suggested time change would have suited fans at home, it would not have suited England nor those travelling to watch the match live. Temperatures would have had an adverse effect on the players, while those who booked flights for the morning of the match would have faced a race against time to make it to the stadium in time.

The final decision means Keir Starmer’s emergency UK law change also remains intact, with pubs across the country allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday morning.

Thomas Tuchel Prepares For His Toughest Challenge As England Boss

Thomas Tuchel via REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Speculation around the proposed time change grew to such an extent that England players and staff were grilled on what it could mean for their preparations, with the FA allegedly furious at being ‘left in the dark’ by FIFA throughout the saga. But now that things have been cleared up, Thomas Tuchel can block out the outside noise and focus on his toughest challenge as England boss to date.

He will be counting on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham to deliver the goods once again, but will also hope his team have started to build some momentum heading into their fifth match of the tournament. That’s the biggest scrutiny he currently faces as the Three Lions can look disjointed at times – but a win is a win at the end of the day, and getting past Mexico on their own soil would surely get the country behind him.

Should they progress to the quarter-finals, it would set up a match against the winner of Brazil vs Norway. Their likely opponents in the semi-finals would be France, where they are expected to play for an opportunity to dethrone Argentina at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

FIFA landed themselves in hot water for its disorganisation amid uncertainty over when England‘s Round of 16 clash with Mexico at the World Cup will take place.

The round-of-16 match at the Estadio Azteca had initially been scheduled for 6 pm local time (1 am BST). Rumours surfaced online that FIFA were looking to move the game to 7 pm BST due to a risk of weather disruption.

The game has now been confirmed to go ahead as planned with a 6 am kick-off. That’s despite floods and thunderstorms being forecast, which led to discussions over moving the game forward by six hours.

Huge claim over FIFA changing England vs Mexico kick-off

REUTERS/Henry Romero

It’s now being reported that weather concerns weren’t the only reason FIFA were preparing to make a change. There is talk in Mexico of a change to the kick-off time due to discussions between British broadcaster BBC and FIFA.

Mexican sports executive Pepe Hanan claims that the schedule change was due to a “negotiation between the BBC and FIFA.” He suggested that television coverage played a role in the potential new kick-off time.

Hanan said that neither the English nor Mexican FA “had anything to do with it” and that they weren’t asked for their opinions. The kick-off time prompted outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer to allow pubs to stay open until 5 am on Monday morning.

The BBC took their time reporting on the potential change during coverage of Egypt’s win over Australia on Friday evening. They have since refuted claims in Mexico about their alleged involvement and said the corporation “was not involved in these discussions.”

For Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions, the situation is a massive distraction as they prepare for a daunting trip to the Azteca. While a U-turn hasn’t occurred, it has evidently left the FA looking for answers ahead of a crucial World Cup game.

Marcus Rashford on kick-off uncertainty

Marty Jean-Louis/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

Marcus Rashford insisted England weren’t thrown off by the possibility of a kick-off time change and that they remained focused on the game. The Three Lions forward, who started in his nation’s 2-1 comeback win over DR Congo in the previous round, explained how it doesn’t affect Tuchel’s camp:

The same can’t be said for England fans who are attending the game, as their travel plans may have been thrown into disarray. FIFA didn’t officially confirm a new kick-off time but reports indicate that there had been a real possibility of them doing so.

There have also been concerns about safety ahead of the match after four fans lost their lives following Mexico’s win over Ecuador in the Round of 32. Mass celebrations involving one million fans in Mexico City led to fatalities, and President Claudia Sheinbaum warned supporters about drinking and to avoid packed gathering spots.