England will face Mexico in the early hours of Monday morning, with the match in Mexico City kicking off at 1am UK time. Thousands of fans across London and the rest of the UK will be staying up late or getting up early to watch Thomas Tuchel's team attempt to reach the quarter-finals.
Late opening for schools and businesses
A number of schools and businesses in the capital have confirmed they will open late on Monday to allow people to watch the game. Unions have called for employers to be "flexible" regarding the match, while data from Gong Labs, a platform that connects to business calls and emails, suggests companies have scheduled almost a third fewer meetings on Monday.
Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday, but the National Police Chiefs' Council has criticised the timing of the Government's decision. In a joint statement, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, NPCC lead for football policing, and Acting Chief Constable Scott Green, NPCC lead for alcohol licensing and harm reduction, said the "late announcement" meant forces had to adapt plans and take officers away from communities. With over 1,000 venues set to be open until as late as 5am, police have pleaded with fans to be considerate and drink "sensibly" during the game.
Poll shows many Londoners plan to skip work
Polling from The Standard has revealed that more than a third of Londoners plan to bunk off work on Monday. From a total of 102 Londoners polled on Thursday, 35% planned on skipping work, with only 20% saying they would be working as usual on Monday morning. Around 7% said they had booked the day off especially for the game, while 18% of Londoners surveyed said they would be working from home.
When will the match finish?
The game kicks off at 6pm local time on Sunday (1am UK time). If the match finishes in normal time, it will end around 3am. If the sides remain tied after 90 minutes, extra time and penalties could push the finish to around 4am.
Weather could cause delays
There is a third possibility: thunderstorms in the area could result in long weather delays. Mexico's win over Ecuador in the last 16 at the same venue on Tuesday was delayed by an hour due to storms, while France's victory over Iraq in Philadelphia was paused by two hours earlier in the tournament. England's warm-up match against Costa Rica in Orlando was also hit by weather delays.
According to the Met Office forecast as of Friday afternoon, thunderstorms are expected near the Estadio Azteca around kick-off time, which could delay the start. Under tournament rules, any lightning strike detected within eight miles of a stadium results in an immediate delay or suspension. A match can only resume after 30 minutes has passed since the last lightning strike, with the countdown resetting if more inclement weather arrives. This means the match might not start until well after 1am, or have delays potentially hours long during the match itself. With pubs allowed to open until 5am, it is possible the match will still be going on when venues are forced to close, potentially leading to rowdy fans on the streets around morning rush hour.
