Mexico and England are due to face off in the Round of 16 at the World Cup.
However, there have been some issued forecast heading into this game.
Indeed, severe thunderstorms are forecast in Mexico City around the game, and that could cause issues for this match.
FIFA rules state that if any lightning strikes are detected within an eight mile radius of the stadium the game will be suspended for a minimum of 30 minutes until there has been half an hour with no lightning strikes detected.
Of course, it’s impossible to know for sure how long a delay will be, and while we’ve seen games paused for up to two hours in the past, if this lasts long enough, the match could be abandoned.
So, if the game is abandoned, what will happen?
What happens if Mexico vs England is abandoned?
IFAB rules are clear on what will happen if the Mexico vs England game is abandoned.
“An abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules or organisers determine otherwise. In principle, where a team is responsible for a match being abandoned because it has fewer than seven players, the match will be forfeited by that team.” The rulebook states.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the entire game will be replayed though.
Indeed, the game state will be taken into account, so if the game is 3-0 with 10 minutes to go, the teams would come back at a different time to play out the final 10 minutes with the scoreline at 3-0.
Of course, finding the time in a packed schedule for a re-arranged game is a logistical issue, but it’s a problem FIFA may have to navigate if the weather is as bad as it’s forecast to be for this game.
Regardless of whether there’s a delay or an abandonment, this game will be played one way or another.
