Getty Image / REUTERS/Raquel Cunha
England Prime Minister Keir Starmer points to the 2026 FIFA World Cup match between England and Mexico
While the biggest story of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is currently U.S. President Donald Trump stepping in to help get star striker Folarin Balogun’s red card overturned, it’s not the only involvement by a prominent head of state.
In fact, thanks to a new report from The Sun, we now know that England Prime Minister Keir Starmer stepped in to stop FIFA from making a major change to the Three Lions’ round of 16 match against Mexico at the famed Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
Initially, FIFA wanted to move the kickoff time of the match from 6 p.m. local (1 a.m. UK time) to noon (7 p.m.) due to concerns over major storms in the area.
FIFA expressed concerns over both fan and player safety, as well as fears that the game could be delayed due to the weather. Ultimately, those fears were proven correct, as the kick time was pushed back an hour following heavy storms.
Keir Starmer Refused To Let England-Mexico World Cup Match Be Moved Up
Despite FIFA expressing its concerns over safety, Starmer reportedly refused to let the match be moved forward because he felt it would give Mexico an unfair advantage.
“The Mexicans were really talking up the storm and were pressing to move the game,” a source told The Sun. “But Keir was having none of it and suspected they were trying to derail the England preparations by giving less time to adapt to the altitude, so he put his foot down.”
Starmer, who recently announced his intent to step down as the country’s prime minister, seemingly played a significant role in the kickoff time remaining in place, which eventually led to an hour delay for weather safety.
Of course, this story is not getting the same sort of attention as Balogun’s despite presenting an actual danger to players and fans. But hey, clearly the U.S. is the only country being corrupt and no other countries would leverage political power for sporting gain, right…?