England manager Thomas Tuchel has sparked debate by urging parents to let their children skip school to watch the Three Lions' World Cup round of 16 match against Mexico, which kicks off at 1am UK time on Monday morning.
Tuchel's plea to parents
Speaking after England's 2-1 victory over DR Congo on Wednesday evening, Tuchel was asked what message he had for parents facing the challenge of getting their children to sleep after a thrilling late-night game. The England boss responded: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football. Come on, there's so much school to go to but the World Cup is only every four years. Let them watch."
He added: "It will be a big, big match in four days, and we need the support of everyone, especially the children."
Challenging kick-off times
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States, has presented difficult scheduling for UK fans due to time differences. Wednesday's game against DR Congo kicked off at 5pm, before many Brits had finished work. The upcoming match at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium poses an even greater challenge, starting at 1am British time on Monday.
England's dramatic victory
England, among the tournament favourites, faced an early scare when DR Congo's Cipenga beat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at his near post after just seven minutes. The Three Lions pushed for an equaliser and finally broke through in the 75th minute with a powerful header from captain Harry Kane. Eleven minutes later, Kane struck again with a thumping shot, sparking celebrations among fans in the stadium and in beer gardens across Britain, and securing England's place in the round of 16.
Kane's thoughts on Mexico clash
Speaking after the match, Kane acknowledged the challenge ahead: "I want to enjoy this one, because I know there's another extremely tough game coming in four days. Mexico, in Mexico, is as big as it gets maybe in the World Cup. The atmosphere is going to be incredible."
He added: "It's going to be tough for many different reasons but ultimately, if you want to be world champions, you have to go through tough games, good teams, Mexico at home. We have to be ready but for now I just want to enjoy this moment, I want to recover, relax, and then obviously the focus will turn pretty quickly onto that one on Sunday."
Kane also noted Mexico's unbeaten record in the tournament so far: "They've obviously won every game so far in the tournament, but they're playing at home. The fans will be right behind them so we'll have to be ready for it, no doubt, but we spoke about our quality and being ourselves in every game."
Public reaction
The poll asks readers whether they think Tuchel is right to encourage children to miss school for the match. The debate highlights the tension between football fandom and educational responsibilities, with the World Cup's once-every-four-years rarity weighing against the importance of regular school attendance.
