For five and a half hours, confusion prevailed as families in England and fans at the World Cup were unaware of the actual kick-off time for the England vs. Mexico match.

According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the England players arrived in Mexico City equally astonished as millions of families in Britain, after rumors began spreading in the Mexican capital about a change in the time of their match against the hosts.

One of the most controversial episodes of the World Cup began at 6:30 PM British time, when Mexican journalist Andrés Vaca announced on TUDN radio that Sunday's match at the Azteca Stadium would be brought forward by a full six hours.

His report cited what he described as informed sources, and was quickly followed by several Mexican journalists, confirming that the reason was warnings of expected electrical storms that prompted consideration of a sudden schedule change.

Initially, the news was met with much skepticism, especially within the English Football Association, which privately confirmed it had not received any formal notification on the matter.

England fans celebrate after their team qualified for the round of 16 (EPA)

The idea of moving a match of this magnitude forward by six full hours, at such a late stage, was unprecedented. Even Gary Neville later said he had never seen a similar decision, even in amateur matches.

But after sources within FIFA confirmed to The Telegraph and other media that discussions were indeed underway, five and a half hours of unprecedented chaos began.

Inside England's camp. England players were preparing to head to Kansas City Airport to travel to Mexico City when the news began reaching them. Both Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers stopped to speak to the media, trying to appear calm in the face of a new obstacle for the team, which already lacked sufficient time to prepare for playing at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level.

Rashford said: 'Certainly the situation is not ideal, but in the end it doesn't change anything.'

Rogers added: 'It's just another obstacle we have to overcome.'

But behind the scenes, the English FA was deeply upset. Surprisingly, the Mexican federation appeared even angrier, with Mexico coach Javier Aguirre describing the proposed change during his press conference as 'a painful blow to the core.'

Since the match was originally scheduled for 1 AM British time on Monday morning, moving it to 7 PM Sunday would have been a major shift for British families, as well as pubs and restaurants preparing to broadcast the game.

During England's delegation's flight to Mexico, around 9 PM British time, many fathers began informing their children that they would be able to watch the match after all.

The impact was not limited to fans, but also extended to pub and restaurant owners, who had a turbulent week after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer granted them an exceptional license to keep their establishments open until 5 AM.

Kate Davidson, owner of the Old Ivy House pub in north London, said: 'We did everything we could to provide staff to work through the night, plus security and all necessary arrangements.'

Major commercial chains also began rearranging their operational plans. Matt Snell, CEO of Boxpark, said: 'If the match is moved forward, it will be much easier for fans who want to gather and watch the game in a group atmosphere.'

As for English fans who bought match tickets, the crisis was more complex.

Most were due to arrive in Mexico City on Saturday evening, but some were scheduled to arrive directly from the United States on Sunday, meaning moving the match forward would have caused them to miss it.

One fan wrote on a site for England fans that he had to consider buying a new ticket from Atlanta for an additional $1,000.

As for officials of the England Fans' Association in Mexico, they confirmed they had no additional information and were experiencing the same uncertainty.

As the England team's plane was en route to Mexico City, the atmosphere changed again.

After the anger expressed by the English and Mexican federations over the confusion, the expected official announcement from FIFA did not come.

Mexico players take part in a training session ahead of the clash with England (EPA)

Just before 11 PM British time, Mexican journalists began confirming that the match would return to its original time.

Journalist Gibran Araige wrote: 'It seems that FIFA has backtracked on the idea of changing the time, and all indications confirm that the match will take place at 6 PM Mexico time, as both parties are angry.'

Just before midnight, it was officially confirmed, after FIFA and the English and Mexican federations agreed to hold the match at its original time without any change.

The England delegation landed in Mexico City around 1 AM, receiving confirmation that they could return to their original preparation schedule.

Mexican fans did not wait long to show their sporting hostility, jeering the England players as they got off the bus and arrived at the hotel, despite the English FA having taken extensive measures to keep the team's movements confidential.

The British woke up on Saturday morning wondering why FIFA had considered changing the match time in the first place.

Sources familiar with the discussions confirmed that the weather was not the only reason.

Extreme weather conditions have become a constant concern during this tournament, as last year's FIFA Club World Cup in the United States saw six major postponements due to weather in 63 matches.

But informed sources also confirmed that the fan celebrations in Mexico City following the Mexican team's win over Ecuador in the round of 32, which resulted in four deaths, were among the main reasons for considering the schedule change.

With the original time retained, the question remains about the extent of the storms' impact on the match, especially as forecasts indicate a 90% probability of lightning strikes at kick-off time.

FIFA is expected to hold a meeting with local organizers on Saturday to discuss any potential disruptions, which, according to The Telegraph, include at least two major protests being organized within the city.

With millions of people expected to take to the streets of Mexico City amid a long day of celebrations and fan gatherings, the real chaos may not have begun yet, and the coming hours will reveal whether FIFA will regret this sudden reversal that sparked so much controversy.