Keir Starmer is poised to let all pubs stay open until the small hours of the morning for England’s crunch World Cup game on Monday.
The Three Lions take on Mexico in a clash due to start at 1am UK time, and the kick-off time has prompted calls for licensing laws to be relaxed so supporters can cheer on the team in a move that could be worth millions to the hospitality industry.
Pubs have already been permitted to open late during England’s run in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
But Monday’s match at the Azteca falls outside of change, because of its 1am start time.
Now, however, Sir Keir, a die hard Arsenal fan, is looking at options to allow a one-off lifting of restrictions.
Responding to the government’s decision, Lib Dem MP Max Wilkinson said:”See you in the pub.”
Official figures show 16.3 million people tuned in to watch England beat the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday.
Across BBC One and iPlayer, it was the biggest live audience of 2026 for the broadcaster.
England captain Harry Kane secured a spot in the round of 16 for the men’s national football team after scoring two second-half goals.
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