England fans have already booked flights and hotels for a potential World Cup tie in Mexico City, despite the Three Lions still needing to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo in their round of 32 match on Wednesday in Atlanta. A win at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium would send England into a last-16 clash against co-hosts Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Sunday.
Fans Confident of Progress
Ryan Woods, 33, from Portsmouth, said: “We should go through. It’s a tough game, but if we can’t win tomorrow we don’t really deserve to be here, do we. But it will be a hard game – we’ve struggled when we’ve had to break teams down but we should be all right hopefully. On to Mexico.” Woods added that he had booked refundable flights to Mexico, which eased the financial risk.
Another supporter, Jack Goodwin, 34, who used his £40,000 house deposit to fund his World Cup trip, was confident of a last-16 tie against Mexico. “We’re in an air-conditioned stadium tomorrow – it’s at midday but it’s in an air-conditioned stadium so no excuses,” he said. “Not if, when we make it through tomorrow, it’s going to be difficult against Mexico because… humidity, climate – it’ll be tough, it’ll be really tough against the Mexicans.”
Ticket Prices Soar
Goodwin and his friend Harrison Killick, also 34, noted that tickets for a potential England-Mexico match were selling for thousands of dollars. “Currently as it stands I think they’re going for about 3,000 US dollars right now,” Goodwin said. The pair were torn over the result of Mexico’s game against Ecuador, as a Mexico win would drive up ticket prices, while an Ecuador win would make tickets cheaper.
Bristol City fan Lee Lewis, 36, said he had also already booked flights to Mexico. Speaking about England’s chances, he said: “I’ve got no choice now, have I? I’m in too deep. I think they’ll do well – I think we’ll be through to the next stage after this game.”
Knockout Stage Brings Excitement
Danny Preston, 59, and his son Tom Preston, 28, from Chesterfield, expressed confidence despite England’s struggles against defensive teams. Danny said: “I think we’ve got a good chance, a very good chance. I think these will have the low block again which we’re going to struggle with, but I think as we progress and if the games get more competitive, I think England will come through.” Tom added: “I think we’ll beat them tomorrow, obviously. I think it’ll be a struggle again but as we get through, when play better teams we can open up a bit more and play better against them.”
Workplace Adjustments and Pub Hours
With the 5pm UK time kick-off, companies have been urged to consider flexible working arrangements. David D’Souza, director of profession at the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD), said: “Flexibility around working hours, such as earlier finishes or later starts to accommodate evening or early-morning games can often be appreciated, however any flexibility should be proportionate and aligned with business needs.” Acas also advised employers to plan ahead for time-off requests during the competition.
Last year, the Home Office extended licensing hours in England and Wales for knockout stage matches involving England or Scotland, allowing pubs to stay open until 1am following Wednesday’s game.
