When England face Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 on Monday, kick-off is at 1am UK time — and for the first time, pubs in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 5am to show the match. The government performed a rapid U-turn on Thursday, passing emergency legislation to relax licensing laws after initially refusing to extend hours beyond the 2am limit already granted for knockout games.
Pubs in England and Wales normally need to apply to their local council for permission to stay open later, and must do so at least five working days in advance. For major tournaments, the government can issue a blanket extension — as it did for the World Cup semi-final and final of the 2025 tournament. This time, the original plan was to allow pubs to open until 1am for games kicking off between 5pm and 9pm, and until 2am for games kicking off between 9pm and 10pm. But a 1am kick-off fell outside those rules.
“Explain how UK pub licensing works for World Cup matches”
Business minister Kate Dearden told the House of Commons on Thursday morning that no further extension would be made. Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson had asked for a blanket extension, warning pubs would "miss out on a real opportunity to get money in the till". Later that day, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the change, saying: "Football might be coming home but we're making sure fans don't have to." Local Government Secretary Steve Reed said emergency legislation would be passed on Friday, calling it "one of the fastest changes in the law that we've seen".
For UK readers, this matters because it affects how and where you can watch live football during late-night matches. If you planned to watch at a pub, you no longer need to find a venue that applied for its own late licence — any pub in England and Wales will be allowed to open until 5am on Monday. But there are concerns about safety: the hot weather expected this weekend increases the risk of dehydration, especially when combined with alcohol, and there are worries that pub openings could lead to road accidents.
Q: How do pub licensing hours normally work during major sporting events? Normally, pubs must apply to their local council for permission to open later, at least five working days in advance. For major tournaments like the World Cup, the government can issue a blanket extension covering all pubs in England and Wales, bypassing individual applications.
Q: Why did the government change its mind about extending hours for the England vs Mexico match? The government initially said it would not relax licensing laws further. But after pressure from MPs, pub industry representatives, and public demand, Sir Keir Starmer performed a U-turn, announcing emergency legislation to allow pubs to stay open until 5am — the final whistle of the match.
Q: What are the potential downsides of extended pub hours? There are concerns about road accidents and health risks. The hot weather combined with alcohol can increase the risk of dehydration. Police and safety groups have warned that late-night drinking could lead to more incidents on the roads.
What happens next: The emergency legislation will be passed through parliament on Friday. The match kicks off at 1am on Monday. Police will monitor crowds and road safety. No further blanket extensions have been announced for later tournament matches.