Will there be a Bank Holiday if England wins the World Cup? | OneFootball

Scotland will have a one-off Bank Holiday during the group stages of the World Cup - but will England have one too?

With only two days to go until the start of the greatest football tournament in the world, thousands across England and Scotland have been struck by World Cup Fever.

In England, fans of the Three Lions are hoping and praying that Thomas Tuchel’s men can finally end 60 years of hurt this summer and bring the trophy home.

England manager Thomas Tuchel

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And if they do - will there be a Bank Holiday to celebrate?

Scotland have Bank Holiday approved

Hopes have been raised after King Charles approved a one-off Bank Holiday in Scotland to allow the Tartan Army to watch a late-night World Cup clash.

Scotland will play in their first World Cup match since 1998 in the early hours of Sunday June 14, taking on minnows Haiti at Gillette Stadium near Boston.

Scotland fans will enjoy a Bank Holiday after their team’s first group game at the World Cup

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With the game kicking off at 2am UK time, First Minister John Swinney suggested the one-off bank holiday to give fans time to “recover” before going back to work on Monday.

John Swinney

PA Wire

The idea has received approval from King Charles, meaning thousands can watch without worrying about a sleepy start on Monday morning.

Not everyone in Scotland will recognise the bank holiday however, with schools and many workplaces remaining open and expecting pupils and employees to come in.

So will England get a Bank Holiday too?

England have never before been granted a Bank Holiday for a World Cup match.

The Three Lions’ latest group-stage kick-off time is 10pm UK time against Panama, and it is highly unlikely a holiday would be introduced for that.

However, should England win their group and progress, there is a possibility of a Sunday 1am kick-off in the last 16.

The precedent set with Scotland’s Bank Holiday will give fans hope of an unheard of World Cup Bank Holiday.

England fans celebrated after the Lionesses won the Euros - but didn’t get a Bank Holiday

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Fans pushed for a Bank Holiday when the Lionesses reached the World Cup final in 2023, but the government confirmed that one wouldn’t be granted, even before the eventual 1-0 loss to Spain.

A government spokesperson told the BBC: “The current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established, and there are no plans to change this.”

This time around, Early Day Motions have been submitted by MPs to the House of Commons, appealing for a holiday to allow the country to celebrate.

England players in training ahead of the World Cup

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One motion reads: “A World Cup victory by England would be a rare national moment likely to bring together families, neighbours and communities across the country, including through local celebrations in town centres, community venues and grassroots sports clubs.

The proposal calls on the Government, in the event of England winning the World Cup, to designate Monday 20 July 2026 as an additional bank holiday.

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy

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Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, told the Standard: "British workers put in some of the longest hours in Europe yet have fewer public holidays than almost any of our neighbours.

"An England World Cup victory would be a once in a lifetime moment. And a Bank Holiday to mark it would be a small but unifying way for the nation to come together and celebrate."