World Cup Kickoff Chaos
England flew to Mexico without even knowing when they would kick off! 🤯 Here is how the World Cup schedule chaos unfolded.
What the video says
Why did England's World Cup squad have to board a flight to Mexico City without even knowing when they would kick off? A chaotic series of events left manager Thomas Tuchel and his players in limbo after Mexican media reported their last-16 clash against Mexico could be moved 7 hours earlier.
The proposed shift to midday was aimed at avoiding severe weather disruption, but it triggered immediate backlash from both camps. Former England defender Gary Neville warned that playing in the midday heat would create a severe sporting disadvantage for the English side.
Furthermore, a midday start was noted to have a detrimental impact on the players due to the denser air quality in Mexico City earlier in the day. With less than 48 hours to go, officials determined a change was logistically impossible due to complex coordination with police, military, and fans.
The match is now confirmed to stay at its original time of 6 PM local time, which is 1 AM in the UK. This leaves both teams to face the elements and each other under the original, highly controversial schedule.
