England are one game away from reaching the 2026 World Cup Final against Spain, and a victory could mean an extra bank holiday for the country. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hinted at the possibility ahead of England's quarter-final win over Norway. Asked whether he would back a bank holiday if England managed to win the tournament, Sir Keir told reporters at a Nato conference this week: "I don't want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final."
England's Path to the Final
England secured their place in the semi-finals with a narrow 2-1 extra-time victory against Norway in Miami and are now hoping to secure their place in the final this Sunday. If England win, they will become only the second senior England team to reach a men's World Cup Final since the 1966 victory. However, they face a difficult Argentina side, and the two nations will meet for the first time in a competitive tournament since 2002.
Prime Minister's Plans
The Times reports Sir Keir will attend the final match in New York if England triumph against Argentina on Wednesday and secure their place in the final. His trip will be just hours before tendering his resignation to the King after announcing last month he would be stepping down as leader of the Labour Party. With the final kicking off at 3pm local time (8pm BST), the match should conclude by 11pm UK time. The UK government will reportedly announce plans for a conditional bank holiday on Friday July 24, granted only in the event of a World Cup victory.
UK-Wide Implications
Whether it would cover the whole UK is separate. England and Wales currently have eight bank holidays a year, Scotland has nine and Northern Ireland has ten. Currently, Wales has no power to grant its own, so any extra day awarded in England would automatically apply there too. Scotland has already had an extra football-related day off, with a bank holiday held after the country qualified for its first World Cup since 1998. The holiday was proposed by First Minister John Swinney to allow people, businesses and other organisations in Scotland to celebrate after the team's opening game against Haiti.
Full List of 2026 Bank Holidays
We have rounded up the full list of bank holidays remaining in 2026 as one could soon be added to the calendar.
- Monday August 31 - Summer bank holiday
- Friday December 25 - Christmas Day
- Monday December 28 - Boxing Day (substitute day)
