It's been a wild 24 hours for England fans ahead of their crunch World Cup showdown with Mexico, with reports emerging that the PM was secretly involved in high-level discussions to safeguard the original kick-off time. The drama began when FIFA threatened to bring the game forward by six hours due to forecasts of severe thunderstorms in Mexico City – an announcement that sent shockwaves through the England camp and left fans on tenterhooks.
The intervention from Downing Street, which saw officials instructed to push for the original schedule, was a masterstroke. Backed by the Football Association (FA), who joined forces with their Mexican counterparts to reject the proposed change, the government's stance was crucial in preventing chaos for the estimated 3,000 travelling England fans. With less than 48 hours' notice, many of these supporters would have been left reeling if they'd had to scramble to change travel plans and accommodation bookings.
As the clock ticked down, Foreign Secretary [name] was in touch with the British Ambassador to Mexico, urging diplomats on the ground to lobby against any changes to the fixture. And it seemed that even the Mexicans were on board – manager Javier Aguirre labelled the proposals a 'kick in the gut', highlighting the fears of lightning and flooding causing mayhem at the packed Azteca Stadium.
But despite all this behind-the-scenes politicking, FIFA ultimately confirmed that the match would kick off as scheduled. And yet, in a cruel twist, England fans were left frustrated once more when an hour was added to the schedule on the day itself due to the poor weather conditions. It's been a baptism of fire for the Three Lions at this World Cup – but will they be able to emerge stronger and fitter after these turbulent opening exchanges?