Starmer pressed FIFA to keep England-Mexico kickoff in place
What's new: British officials also contacted diplomats in Mexico City as FIFA weighed a 6-hour move over storm forecasts.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer directed officials to push FIFA not to move England's World Cup match against Mexico to an earlier kickoff, after the governing body considered shifting the game by six hours because of forecast storms. The Football Association backed the effort, and Foreign Office officials contacted British diplomats in Mexico City to argue against a change so about 3,000 England fans would not miss the match. FIFA ultimately kept the original time slot, though kickoff was later delayed by one hour because of the weather. Starmer later said at a Downing Street reception that his government had to "battle" to restore the match to its scheduled window.