THE World Cup last-32 clash between Mexico and Ecuador has been delayed.
Thunderstorms and lightning in the Mexico City area forced officials to scrap plans to begin at 7pm local time (2am UK).
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The match between Mexico and Ecuador at the Azteca Stadium has been delayed Credit: Getty
Thunderstorms and lightning forced kick-off to be delayed Credit: AFP
Fans gathered at the iconic Azteca – but were kept waiting for the action to begin.
The same stadium is set to host a last-16 game at the weekend – which could well be Mexico against England.
One game has been impacted by thunderstorms at the World Cup so far.
The match between France and Iraq – which took place in Philadelphia earlier this month – was paused for TWO HOURS due to a severe thunderstorm.
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Fans were instructed to take shelter at half-time while players returned to the dressing room.
Any lightning within an eight mile radius of a stadium triggers a suspension, with play not allowed to resume until at least 15 minutes after the final strike.
Due to the lengthy delay, players on both teams were forced to complete another warm-up before the match resumed.
Plenty of games have been threatened by thunderstorms over the last fortnight, but they have still kicked off as scheduled.
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As things stand, the match between Mexico and Ecuador will start at 7pm local time.
The winner of the clash will face either England or DR Congo in the last-16 at the weekend.
They will discover their opponents on Wednesday.
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IT’S A KNOCKOUT
The knockout stages of the World Cup are here, with many big sides still in the hunt for global glory.
England manager Thomas Tuchel is hoping to finally bring football home after a 60-year drought for the nation.
Powerhouse nations like France, Spain, Brazil and Argentina are all serious contenders for the biggest prize in sport.
However, heavyweights Germany and Netherlands have both been knocked out on penalties in the last-32!
Football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are showing no signs of slowing down, on what looks to be the pair’s final World Cup.
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