A crisis that almost turned into a scandal. FIFA withdraws its “controversial” decision

The International Football Federation (FIFA) has caused a storm of controversy after it seriously considered moving Mexico’s round of 16 match between Mexico and England from 6pm on Sunday, before withdrawing the decision and keeping the original date at the Mexico City stadium, following strong protests from the Mexican and English federations.

The International Federation was considering the change due to thunderstorms expected on Sunday afternoon, in addition to safety concerns over travel and possible public celebrations after the match, but this change was not officially announced.

The reversal came after hours of waiting and after both federations expressed their strong displeasure at a decision that has caused major disruption to the sporting, logistical and television planning of one of the most anticipated World Cup matches.

The first to express his displeasure was Javier Aguirre, the coach of the Mexican national team, saying: “It’s like a punch in the stomach because it changes everything. Now we have to do all the work again. It’s not like everything was in vain, but it’s almost like that.

Aguirre added that the change would mean “putting back all the preparation work in one week,” including meal times, rest times, physical activity sessions, technical meetings, field trips and warm-up protocols.

The protest was not limited to Mexicans. In England, the surprise was even greater, with several British media reporting that the FA had learned of the possible change through press reports before receiving any official notification from FIFA, causing much displeasure within the English delegation.

The concern went beyond the sporting aspect, as thousands of England fans were due to arrive in Mexico City on Sunday morning and the move to the match time would disrupt their attendance by six hours, while others rearranged their travel plans, hotels and flights in anticipation of a change that ultimately did not happen.

A forecast of thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon was the main reason FIFA considered the change, a phenomenon that has already affected several matches at this World Cup and could force matches to be temporarily halted as a precaution.

Added to this are concerns over travel and possible crowd celebrations after the match, an aspect that has been closely watched by local authorities following some incidents during the tournament.

With the setback, FIFA ends a crisis that almost turned into an organizing scandal and keeps the original date of the game at 6pm local time in what is considered to be one of the most famous matches of the last 16.