Keir Starmer ‘makes furious FIFA demand’ and forces major England World Cup U-turn | Football | Sport
It had originally been scheduled for 1am on Monday morning UK time (6pm local time), with the plan to shift kick-off to 7pm Sunday evening (midday local time). The reasoning behind the proposed shift was to avoid thunderstorms that were forecast in and around the kick-off time in Mexico City, while also ensuring the safety of fans attending the match.
However, the plan was scrapped late on Friday night, with communication that the match would go ahead at the intended kick-off time. It has now been reported that PM Starmer intervened in the decision, urging the FA to push back on agreeing to a move.
As per The Sun, a spokesperson said: “The Mexicans were really talking up the storm and were pressing to move the game. But Keir was having none of it and suspected they were trying to derail the England preparations by giving less time to adapt to the altitude, so he put his foot down.”
The report claims that the FA made contact with Downing Street to see if they would be open to moving the kick-off. It came after the soon-to-be-departed PM passed an emergency law to allow pubs to open until 5am, so that fans could watch it at their locals.
England’s heroics at the Azteca Stadium mean their World Cup campaign will march on into Miami, with a quarter-final against Norway set to come. Thomas Tuchel praised the mentality of his players after the victory, saying: “A heroic performance and a heroic result.
“I’m so happy with the players, and also for me, to live this experience in the last two days. Such a special memory, and against all the adversity it makes it very special for us. If a team has heart and belief then it’s this team. They did it on pure will. No words. Iconic match, iconic stadium, we overcame so much adversity today.”
A victory against Norway will see England through to the semi-finals for just the second time since 1990. The Three Lions’ most likely opponent in the semi-final would be Argentina, who face Egypt in the round-of-16, with the winner of that tie to come up against either Colombia or Switzerland.
