Brazil’s World Cup round of 16 match against Norway will kick off an hour later due to concerns about the heat, according to Goal Brasil reporter Raisa Simplicio. A spokesperson for the Brazilian Football Federation told The Athletic: “A change is possible, and we are waiting on FIFA”.
The match is currently scheduled to kick off at 4pm local time (9pm BST), but an impending change to the start time of England’s tie against Mexico could see both matches overlap. There was supposed to be a 4-hour gap between them, but the match in Mexico City is now seemingly set to begin six hours early.
That game being brought forward and Brazil vs Norway staying put would mean that, if England vs Mexico goes to extra time, both would clash. FIFA schedules knockout round matches so they do not overlap, as in the group stage, except for the final matches, which kick off concurrently.
It is in their remit to make such changes. This tournament’s regulations state that FIFA “has the right to cancel, reschedule or relocate one or more matches (or the entire FIFA World Cup 26) for any reason at its sole discretion, including as a result of force majeure or due to health, safety or security concerns.”
These two fixtures would be far from the first to be impacted by the weather at this World Cup. Mexico’s last match against Ecuador in the round of 32 started an hour late as they waited for storms to pass.
France have also been affected, with their group stage game against Iraq taking place two hours later than scheduled due to thunderstorms in Philadelphia, and there could be more disruption to come. They are due to play their round of 16 match against Paraguay at the same venue on Saturday, with temperatures forecast to reach 38°C, but there is no sign of any changes to the kick-off time, which is 10pm BST.
New Jersey and New York also have weather warnings in place due to the heat this weekend, though temperatures are expected to drop on Sunday compared to Friday and Saturday. Thunderstorms, though, are the scenario where there are clear safety rules for this tournament.
Lightning strikes within eight miles of the match trigger an automatic half-hour delay. Measures around heat and rain are less clear.