England’s last-16 World Cup clash with Mexico in Mexico City will go ahead at the originally scheduled time of 6pm, despite FIFA holding emergency talks about moving the kick-off time forward by six hours, and it’s now been revealed why the global football organisation ultimately opted against making the change.

The Three Lions secured their passage into this stage of the prestigious international tournament by downing DR Congo in the previous round. Late goals from Harry Kane prevented Thomas Tuchel’s side from suffering a devastating upset and set up a mouth-watering round of 16 tie against Mexico at the famous Azteca Stadium.

Tuchel’s squad flew to Mexico City on Friday afternoon and were met with uncertainty about their fixture in Central America once they arrived.

Reports emerged indicating that FIFA were considering changing the initially scheduled 6pm kick-off time, but these plans have been swiftly ditched for a multitude of reasons.

Why FIFA Wanted to Change England vs Mexico Kick-Off Time

As soon as England progressed into the round of 16, Three Lions fans rued the fact that they’d have to stay up until 1am on Monday morning to watch their team in what is set to be a blockbuster event in Mexico’s capital.

However, England supporters still at home were given a brief period of relief on this front, after it emerged that the game could be brought forward to a more comfortable time of 7pm BST.

After a significant spell of deliberation and emergency talks at FIFA, it was decided that this wasn’t the best course of action, and that the game will commence as planned.

This left fans wondering why FIFA had even considered this drastic logistical change so close to the event, and why it was ultimately abandoned.

According to the Athletic, while reports suggesting that weather was the driving factor for the considerations were somewhat accurate, the primary reason was actually related to fan safety. Four Mexico fans died during the celebrations following the country’s win over Ecuador in the previous round, and organisers were eager to avoid a repeat of this tragic event by bringing kick-off forward.

The idea was that a noon kick-off time would reduce the time supporters could drink in before the match, reducing the chance of crowd trouble between both sets of fans.

Potential thunderstorms were indeed another factor, but the potential for consequences in and around the Azteca was the predominant concern. The fact that talks over such a considerable logistical change reached the stage they did suggests that the concerns from organisers were indeed significant.

Why England vs Mexico Will Still Be Played at 6pm Local Time

Hannah Mckay via Reuters

Fans in England will be walking into work with a headache on Monday morning, as FIFA ditched their plans after emergency talks took place.

It’s understood that backlash from those directly involved on the performance side, as well as inconvenienced fans, is the main reason why FIFA ultimately ended up not making this kick-off time alteration.

Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre was particularly aggrieved by the proposed plans.

“It’s a kick in the stomach,” Aguirre told Mexican Radio station Grupo Formula. This changes everything. They informed me about it here, I don’t agree, FIFA calls the shots and we have to swallow garlic and water. Now we have to change our plans, nobody consulted me. Neither I nor my players like this change. I’m pissed off.”

England were also reportedly upset by the potential change, while potential backlash around moving Brazil’s match-up with Norway back an hour was also considered when coming to a verdict.

Ultimately, uprooting the entire logistical and security plan was too big an ask this close to the game. On top of this, Mexican journalist Alberto Lati has revealed that there is actually uncertainty regarding possible electrical storms, and this uncertainty meant such a change couldn’t be justified.

England versus Argentina has always delivered incredible spectacles and iconic moments with some that are immortalised forever in football history.

However, the two sides haven’t crossed paths since their international friendly, which England won, back in 2005. The likes of David Beckham, Diego Maradona, Diego Simeone and Michael Owen are all heavily involved in their history.

As is the World Cup, as both sides enjoyed victories over one another on their way to tournament victories in 1966 and 1986.

To be considered rivals, two entities must have heavy disagreements, feelings of injustice and something between a disliking and hatred for one another — both England and Argentina share those feelings and the story is as rich as any other at international level.

Why Are England and Argentina Rivals?

For two countries — or football teams — to be considered rivals, it rarely takes much. A single game is often enough to spark an intense rivalry that spans decades. In the case of England and Argentina, it all revolves around the World Cup.

Their first meeting was back in 1962, but the beef began in England’s triumphant campaign. Argentina captain Antonio Rattín was sent off for excessive foul play and believed the Spanish referee had been biased towards the home nation as he scuffed the royal carpet on his exit. It led to Sir Alf Ramsey forbidding his players to swap shirts after the match. According to reports, Ramsey harshly warned George Cohen not to exchange jerseys with “that animal”.

Prior to the 1986 clash, the Falklands War in the 1980s added an extra layer of political needle which was enhanced inherently by Maradona. Each clash insisted on being fueled by fire and passion, and it resulted in a rich tapestry of a rivalry that waits to be ignited again.

England vs Argentina Head-to-Head

REUTERS

With the two sides meeting sparingly over their history, the head-to-head is certainly an interesting read. If all goes well in the World Cup, it could well be added to at the semi-final stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Five of their 12 official meetings took place at the World Cup, with both countries enjoying success. For example, Argentina enjoyed two wins in 1986 and 1998, but England triumphed in 1962 and 1966 as well as in 2002.

The last meeting was in 2005 as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen combined to defeat a side that included legends such as Javier Zanetti, Hernán Crespo and Carlos Tevez.

England overall record vs Argentina

*One penalty defeat

Notable Games

Action Images / Brandon Malone Digital via Reuters

1986 World Cup Quarter-final

When it comes to these two nations, they certainly aren’t lacking iconic moments and notable games. Not many games could match the controversy and spectacle of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. This, of course, brought both the ‘Hand of God‘ and the ‘Goal of the Century’ in one fell swoop, both from the mercurial Maradona.

All of this took place in just eight minutes. First came the handball, which has seemed to haunt goalkeeper Peter Shilton ever since, and then the incredible, mazy run which saw him beat five players before rounding the keeper. This served as a key moment in their push to win the title.

Maradona’s infamous line endures to this day:

1998 and 2002 World Cup Meetings

Another striking moment involved Beckham — in both the 1998 and 2002 tournaments. After being fouled by Simeone in the heat of battle of their Round of 16 clash, he kicked out and was promptly awarded a red card. The English press crucified him for the altercation, blaming him for the team’s defeat.

Years later, Beckham reflected in an Amazon Prime Documentary:

Years of ridicule led to redemption at the subsequent tournament, as he thrashed home a penalty to give England a narrow victory, to which he celebrated with intense passion, in what was a key moment in his career.

If the two were to meet in the 2026 World Cup, it would see the two reignite a feud that stretches back decades. Both could face off in the semi-finals should they win their groups; it would see the reigning champions and Lionel Messi face off against the international dreamers, hoping to end 60 years of hurt.

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.