England face Mexico in the last 16 of the World Cup on Sunday evening local time, causing a headache for fans hoping to watch back in the UK. The time difference means the game kicks off at 1am on Monday morning for those at home. For a brief time it looked like the game might be brought forward to a more palatable 7pm on Sunday night UK time due to the weather forecast, but it was later confirmed that nothing would change. That leaves England fans having to sacrifice what is likely to be an entire night's sleep if they want to watch.
Extended Pub Opening Hours Announced
Pubs across England and Wales will be able to stay open until 5am, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday. MPs had called for leeway beyond the 2am extended pub opening hours already in place for England matches during the Football World Cup. The Prime Minister 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. The whole country will be backing the team. Come on England!”
The blanket extension means individual pubs do not need to apply for extended hours. Communities Secretary Steve Reed has written to council leaders informing them of the changes. Before the announcement, he had earlier urged them to sign off on pubs extending their hours to allow fans to watch to the end of the match, after claiming there were “still some councils that are saying no to the pubs”.
Many Pubs Expected to Remain Closed
Despite the rule change, many pubs are expected to remain closed. Some pub owners have said issues with arranging staffing and being located in residential areas will mean they will remain closed. A spokesperson for Wetherspoons said “only five of the 800 Wetherspoon pubs will be open” for the match. Greene King, which has 2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK, said more than 600 pubs across England would be staying open late to show the match.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said earlier this year that the number of pubs in the UK had fallen from 46,829 in 2020 to 44,656 in 2025. Tommy Higgs, co-owner of The Three Horseshoes pub in Witney, Oxfordshire, said they would not be opening for the England match. Speaking to LBC, Mr Higgs said: “We’re in a built-up community around here and I think it’s just a little bit disrespectful for our locals to have that sort of noise at 5am. No one’s going to want to work until five in the morning. We’re not a nightclub, we’re a local pub in a small town, and I am not allowed to annoy my neighbours because I’ll be into holy hell with that. A lot of our staff have second jobs. We employ a couple of full-timers, but mainly part-time, and I would never expect that of them.”
Discussing the Government’s decision to loosen restrictions, Mr Higgs said: “For some, I think it’s a huge benefit, especially in your bigger built-up cities, where there are places that open later, but for here and where we are, it’s just not something that we will do. There’s other things they can be doing to help the pub trade out – staying open until five o’clock in the morning on a Monday – for some is a benefit, but for others it’s just completely pointless, really.”
Greene King Welcomes Extended Hours
Andrew Gallagher, brand and marketing director at Greene King, said: “We’re delighted to have been granted permission to stay open late as England progress through the tournament. There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere in our pubs and it gives fans the chance to come together, soak up the occasion and hopefully celebrate! We know this will be a popular match, so urge guests to secure their spot as soon as possible.” England will face Mexico in the last 16 after beating the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1 on Wednesday.
