There is anxiety over the scheduled start time of England's crucial World Cup knockout match against host nation Mexico, as violent storms descend upon the capital. The highly anticipated round-of-16 encounter at the famous Azteca Stadium is currently set to begin at 1am BST on Monday, July 6, which is 6pm Sunday local time.

While football's governing body, FIFA, recently dismissed intense speculation regarding a schedule shift, severe weather patterns across Mexico City mean people are fearing an unexpected delay. Concerns regarding the adverse weather have intensified after supporters on the ground shared footage of the extreme conditions online.

As reported by The Sun, one observer said: "24 hours before #ENGMEX biblical rain in Mexico City – forecast more of the same tomorrow around same time. Game should be done by breakfast time Monday morning…" Another fan posted: "Heavy rains are being reported this afternoon in the City of #Mexico, and tomorrow the likelihood of rain remains high, just like this afternoon and evening. So it's no surprise that there are updates regarding the match."

A third one added: "Torrential rain and thunderstorms here in Mexico City ahead of tomorrow's R16 game between England and Mexico. With a similar forecast tomorrow, there are concerns the match scheduled for Sun 1800 local (Mon 0100UK) could be disrupted."

While FIFA has chosen not to issue a formal declaration addressing these social media posts, tournament guidelines clearly dictate that the governing body maintains the authority to "cancel, reschedule or relocate" fixtures "at its sole discretion".

The meteorological threat comes just after the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, extended licensing laws, permitting hundreds of British pubs to remain open until 5am so fans can watch the late-night action.

Initially, it was reported that the match could have been put forward by six hours to avoid the worst of the weather, but rthis turned out not to be the case following a fierce backlash from both English and Mexican football associations.

Mexico are no strangers to a delay as their 2-0 last 32 match against Ecuador was pushed back by an hour due to a thunderstorm.

The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, Mexico's official weather bureau, has announced an 80% probability of severe thunderstorms beginning from 4pm local time on Sunday - two hours prior to the scheduled kick-off.

Safety protocols state that play must be suspended if lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of the arena, requiring a mandatory 30-minute stoppage that resets with every subsequent strike nearby.

Ultimately, FIFA must comply with local safety authorities regarding stadium evacuations.