A White House official has accused UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of ‘putting lives at risk’ with his intervention to stop England’s kick-off time with Mexico from being changed last weekend.
The football federations of Mexico and England’s were left totally in the dark after it emerged that FIFA were considering moving their World Cup last-16 clash forward by six hours at late notice.
Concerns over potential thunderstorms and fan safety in Mexico City were both cited as reasons for exploring the change, only for FIFA to end up backtracking on the plans and end up facing heavy backlash.
Subsequent reports have suggested that the English Football Association sought assistance from Starmer amid the uncertainty, with the PM intervening to help avoid a last-minute change.
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While the US government has come under fire for Donald Trump’s role in getting FIFA president Gianni Infantino to controversially suspend striker Folarin Balogun’s red card and allow him to face Belgium, it appears that Trump’s famous deflecting tactics are now at work again.
Indeed, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the World Cup, brushed aside criticism of Trump and instead sought to question Starmer for wading into FIFA’s decision-making over England’s kick-off time at the Azteca Stadium.
“I would go and point to something I think is a much graver decision that was made just a couple days ago,” Giuliani told talkSPORT.
“Keir Starmer’s intervention through diplomatic channels of not allowing the Mexico-England match time to be moved.
“In the round of 32 after the match, three Mexicans died in this celebration.
“And there were discussions about moving that match time from the evening [6pm, local time] to noon so then that way you would have less risk of life to Mexicans.
“That’s far graver when you actually think about the consequences, the potential consequences, that anything that happens on the pitch right there.
“So I would point you to that and see the immediate precedence in heads of state looking at something that happens potentially on the pitch.”
Downing Street clarifies Starmer role in kick-off drama
Downing Street has, however, since sought to clarify Starmer’s role in any discussions, saying in a statement: “The Prime Minister was clear that he was supportive of representations made by the Football Association regarding the practical implications of a proposed scheduling change for the team’s preparations.
“The final decision on fixture timings remained a matter for FIFA.
“But as we’ve consistently said, decisions on disciplinary matters and the application of rules of the game are for FIFA and for the relevant football authorities.”
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Thomas Tuchel’s men face Norway in Florida on Saturday for the right to face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semi-finals.
England playmaker Morgan Rogers, meanwhile, has revealed the England plan to ‘stop’ lethal Norway No.9 Erling Haaland in this weekend’s quarter-final showdown.
