The BBC has issued a statement denying any involvement in FIFA's controversial decision to change the kick-off time for England's World Cup round of 16 match against Mexico. The match, originally scheduled for 1am BST on Monday, was temporarily brought forward to 7pm on Sunday evening amid concerns over thunderstorms in Mexico City, before FIFA reinstated the original time after emergency talks.
Accusations Against the BBC
Spanish-language outlet FOX Sport Spanish claimed that the BBC, as a World Cup broadcast rights holder, had pushed for the earlier kick-off time to benefit UK audiences. A BBC spokesperson firmly rejected this, stating: “We were not involved in these discussions.” The broadcaster also emphasised that the Football Association (FA) was not informed of the change until around 8pm BST, and the Mexican Football Federation was reportedly furious about the last-minute decision.
Mexico Manager's Reaction
Mexico manager Javier Aguirre expressed his anger over the proposed change, calling it a “kick in the stomach.” Speaking to Radio Formula, he said: “It’s not like all the work we’ve done goes out the window, but it comes pretty close because we’re losing six hours that were part of our entire matchday plan. I don’t like it at all. Obviously, we’ll comply with whatever FIFA decides, but neither my players nor I are happy about it. There’s absolutely no advantage to playing at noon. None whatsoever. It really throws a wrench into everything. FIFA is in charge, so we’ll just have to deal with it. If anyone asked me, I’d say keep the 6pm kick-off. It’s a significant change. I can understand there may be reasons behind it but nobody consulted me, and yes, I’m pretty upset. At the end of the day, though, our job is to go out there and win.”
FIFA's Emergency Talks
The uncertainty began when reports emerged that the match had been moved forward by seven hours due to weather concerns. Radio station TUDN initially broke the news, and some sources claimed a statement from FIFA was imminent, but no official announcement was ever made. FIFA subsequently held emergency talks and decided to keep the original kick-off time of 1am BST. The FA was reportedly blindsided by the attempted change, and the Mexican federation was apoplectic. Lightning had previously disrupted Mexico's victory over Ecuador, delaying that match's kick-off.
