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Pubs in England and Wales are permitted to stay open until 5am for the England vs Mexico match on Monday July 6, 2026.
The match, which is happening in Mexico City, kicks off at 1am and is expected to go on past 3am.
Initially, the UK government wasn’t going to allow the decision, but outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that pubs could stay open until the final whistle. “Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” he said.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We all know the best place to watch the match is down the local,” according to the BBC.
Normally, pubs have to apply to their local council to have their hours extended. However, they need to apply at least five working days in advance, meaning it would have already been too late to apply once England vs Mexico match was announced.
There was resistance to the calls as licensing laws have already been extended to accommodate the FIFA World Cup. That’s from 11pm to 1am for games with kick-offs from 5pm-9pm and until 2am for kick-offs after 9pm.
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