Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday to show England’s World Cup clash with co-hosts Mexico.
The last-16 fixture at Mexico City’s iconic Estadio Azteca kicks-off at 1am BST and will not finish until around 3am BST at the earliest.
Pubs in England and Wales were initially allowed to stay open until only 2am for World Cup 2026 games starting late in the evening, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday afternoon that closing time has been extended by three hours on Monday to allow venues to show the full match.
Pubs allowed to stay open until 5am to show England’s clash with Mexico
The government had already relaxed licensing laws for the World Cup, allowing pubs to stay open until 1am for games kicking off between 5pm and 9pm BST, and until 2am for matches starting after 9pm. England’s latest game of the tournament to date was the Group L finale against Panama, which began at 10pm BST.
Reports suggested opening hours would not be extended to accommodate England’s clash with Mexico, but Sir Keir confirmed the news in a social media video captioned “Good news”.
The Prime Minister said: “We’re making sure that pubs can stay open early on Monday morning for the England game. I know lots of people are making their plans – if you’re planning to watch it in the pub, that is great, and it’s really good for pubs as well. So, come on England.”
He added in a statement: “Football might be coming home, but we’re making sure fans don’t have to.”
Before the announcement, pubs hoping to stay open beyond 2am on Monday morning would have had to apply to their local council for a Temporary Events Notice.
These must be submitted at least five working days in advance, so any landlords waiting to see if England beat DR Congo in the last 32 on Wednesday would have already missed the deadline.
However, the government has the power to extend licensing hours on occasions of “exceptional international, national or local significance”, which has allowed pubs to stay open later on Monday morning to show the last-16 clash. The game may not finish until as late as 4am if it goes to extra-time and penalties.
Scotland’s opening Group C match against Haiti kicked-off at 2am BST on Sunday, June 14 and pubs north of the border were allowed to stay open until 30 minutes after the final whistle.
England reached the last 16 by beating Congo 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday, with Harry Kane’s late double saving the Three Lions from a humiliating exit.
They face a Mexico side who have won all four of their World Cup 2026 games without conceding, having topped Group A and beaten Ecuador 2-0 in the last 32.
