The UK government has confirmed that no additional bank holiday will be granted for England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico, set for a 1am UK time kick-off on Monday morning. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that children are expected to attend school as usual, while Communities Secretary Steve Reed has encouraged local councils to consider extending pub licensing hours for the match.
Government Position on Bank Holiday
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government declared it is 'backing the England team all the way' but emphasised that 'the current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established.' This follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's earlier hints that a bank holiday could be possible if England wins the tournament, though he stopped short of a firm commitment.
Prime Minister's Comments
Speaking at the G7 summit in France, Sir Keir said: 'I'm not going to jinx the World Cup. But, you know, the last time we won the World Cup, it was a Labour government. And so it's absolutely clear that we only win World Cups under a Labour government. So let's hope that this is the next opportunity.'
Precedent from Previous Tournaments
No bank holiday was granted when England's women won the Euros in 2022, nor after their 2025 Euros victory. Sir Keir had previously supported a bank holiday for the Lionesses' 2023 World Cup campaign, tweeting: 'There should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home.' However, after their narrow 1-0 defeat in the final, no holiday was declared.
Extended Pub Hours
To accommodate fans, the Prime Minister made a last-minute decision to extend licensing hours for pubs screening the match. He said: 'Football might be coming home, but we're making sure fans don't have to. Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.'
Scotland's Bank Holiday
Scotland has already benefited from an extra bank holiday for this World Cup, after the Scottish Government announced an additional day off on Monday, June 15, to mark the Scottish national team's first World Cup appearance in decades.
