July 3 – England will head into Sunday’s World Cup last-16 meeting with Mexico saying FIFA’s rules have put them at a disadvantage before a ball has been kicked.

Manager Thomas Tuchel has criticised FIFA’s tournament regulations, which have prevented England from following the optimal preparation for playing at the altitude of Mexico City.

Mexico have already played three matches at the Estadio Azteca and are well accustomed to conditions – which are more than 2,200 metres above sea level. 

England, meanwhile, have been based in Kansas City and would ideally have either arrived around 10 days in advance to acclimatise, or flown in immediately before kick-off to minimise the physiological effects.

FIFA’s competition rules have ruled out the latter option. From the knockout stage onwards, teams are required to train at venue-specific sites the day before matches for publicity purposes, forcing England to travel earlier than their sports science staff would have preferred.

“The recommendation is you either go 10 days before – which is too long for us – or last minute, which is not allowed [by FIFA],” Tuchel said.

“We have spoken to teams who do it and they say they travel very, very late on matchday if they cannot have time to adapt. [We must] find a mixture in between. It will stay as a disadvantage.”

Asked whether the situation was unfair, Tuchel replied: “Yes, it’s a huge advantage [for Mexico].”

England’s travel plans have also been challenged by security concerns. According to The Times, the FA has delayed the squad’s arrival in Mexico City to also reduce the possibility of training sessions being spied on, with privacy becoming another consideration as the tournament enters the knockout rounds.

Interest in the tie has reached fever pitch – tickets listed on FIFA’s official resale platform have climbed as high as £27,000.

Back in England, the match’s late kick-off has prompted an unusual intervention from the government. With only days remaining in office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has approved extended licensing hours, allowing pubs across the country to remain open until 5am, the game will finish around 3am BST on Monday morning.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]