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England’s Premier Fought to Keep World Cup Kickoff Time Against Mexico

England's round-of-16 victory against Mexico, the match was set to be moved six hours earlier. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer personally intervened to save the original kickoff time.

England’s Premier Fought to Keep World Cup Kickoff Time Against Mexico
Photo: tagesspiegel.de

England's round-of-16 victory against Mexico, the match was set to be moved six hours earlier. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer personally intervened to save the original kickoff time.

The British government stepped into the debate over the planned rescheduling of the World Cup round-of-16 match between England and Mexico. Two days before the duel in Mexico City, it was reported that the game should be moved six hours earlier to 12 p.m. local time due to the risk of thunderstorms. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told the PA news agency: “We had to fight with the FA to get the original kickoff reinstated, which was not obvious.”

The rescheduling ultimately did not take place. Reports indicated that the Mexican federation also spoke out against the shift. However, there was no clarity for several hours. The memorable match ended with a dramatic 3-2 victory for England, who played with a man down. Due to a thunderstorm that began in the afternoon and lasted for a long time, the game kicked off an hour later.

Source: www.tagesspiegel.de