England fans set to find out if pubs will stay open for World Cup clash v Mexico | OneFootball

The Three Lions' clash at the Azteca takes place at an unprecedented UK kick-off time

Millions of football supporters across England have, for the past two weeks, been cheering on Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions in various ways as they look to achieve FIFA World Cup glory for just the second time ever.

Tuchel's first major tournament since being appointed as manager in October 2024 in place of former Middlesbrough boss, Sir Gareth Southgate, marks 60 years since England's last, and only, major tournament success, which came on home soil against West Germany.

But, whilst storylines which have already been generated throughout the maiden 48-team edition of the World Cup have been gripping, the tournament has also been surrounded by controversy.

For supporters of many nations jetting out to the United States, Canada and Mexico, the cost of transport, accommodation and match tickets have been extortionate, while others feel they have been priced out as a result.

While this would be the case for any major tournament involving England, the streets, pubs, clubs and fan parks have been packed to the rafters as a result throughout the four matches which Tuchel's side have already played.

Indeed, three of those have been victories, even though the Group L encounters against Croatia, Ghana and Panama were not flawless, before Harry Kane's late double against DR Congo on Wednesday afternoon set up a mouth-watering clash with Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

However, while Tuchel and his squad, many of which have previously featured in the Championship, League One and League Two, have matters such as altitude to take into account, supporters back home are already figuring out how they will watch the game which gets underway at 1AM on Monday, July 6th.

England fans find out if pubs will remain open for Mexico World Cup clash

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Indeed, the Home Office had previously relaxed laws, meaning that pubs across England and Scotland could remain open, at the latest, until 2AM for matches.

Scotland's opening match against Haiti, which was won 1-0 in Foxborough, also started at 2AM on Sunday, June 14th, but authorities across the country had allowed for special circumstances to be granted, while Monday, June 15th, was marked as a bank holiday.

A report from the Sun initially stated that outgoing Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, had been exploring the possibilities of lifting those aforementioned restrictions to allow England fans to watch the tie against Mexico in their local pubs, or in towns and cities throughout the country.

It was claimed that pubs are likely to be given permission to serve until approximately 5AM on Monday, which takes into account the possibility of extra-time, penalties and post-match celebrations if the Three Lions are to knock out one of the host nations and set up a quarter-final with either Brazil or Norway, which would take place at 10PM on Saturday, July 11th.

With many pubs missing the deadline to apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN), that needed to have been filed five days before the match, which was on Wednesday ahead of the last 32 clash, some local councils are said to have already rejected 'TEN' requests due to concerns over noise late into the night.

However, Starmer has now confirmed on his social media platform that pubs will be allowed to stay open until the early hours of Monday morning, with the news likely to go down well with the vast majority, as he also cited the boost it will give the country's hospitality sector.

Thomas Tuchel's humoured response to late UK kick-off time for Mexico v England

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Another dilemma beyond actually watching this last 16 tie, which will see England face off against the likes of Wolves' Raul Jimenez, is, for many, the prospect of work or school just hours later.

When asked in his post-match press conference as to whether children back home should be given the chance to watch a crucial game, Tuchel responded: “Write an excuse for school and let them watch football. They have so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years.

"Let them watch, there will be a big, big match in four days and we need the support of everyone and especially of the children," he added.

England's own social media channels have also poked fun at the situation by producing a graphic of an annual leave form, but it has been discussed in parliament that children should still attend school on Monday, and that it is parents who should make a decision.