Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has intervened to allow pubs across England to remain open until 5am for the country’s World Cup Round of 16 match against Mexico.
The decision reverses an earlier position that would have seen pubs forced to close mid-match in the early hours of Monday morning, effectively cutting fans off at half time.
Starmer used a statutory power to grant the extended hours, designating the fixture an event of “national significance” and removing the need for individual venues to apply for a separate licence.
The game against Mexico is due to be played at the 87,000-capacity Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, which sits seven hours behind the UK, pushing kick-off deep into Sunday night.
England secured their place in the round of 16 after beating the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1 on Wednesday night, setting up the high-profile last-16 tie.
The measure will be laid before parliament tomorrow, despite MPs not being required to attend the chamber for the vote.
Speaking about the decision, Prime Minister Starmer said: “Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to.”
He added: “Pubs staying open until the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.”
Starmer concluded: “The whole country will be backing the team. Come on England!”
Prior to the government’s intervention, only a small number of venues such as nightclubs with facilities to screen football were positioned to show the crucial knockout fixture.
Several pubs had already been granted extended opening hours for earlier World Cup games, but some establishments had their 5am extension requests denied by local councils, according to an industry source.
The government had faced growing pressure from the hospitality sector to grant a special extended licence, with the British Beer and Pub Association among those pushing for urgent action.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “Pubs and fans will be over the moon about this decision, because we all know the best place to watch the match is down the local.”
McClarkin added: “This tournament is hugely important for our sector, so we’re delighted the Government listened to our concerns and acted so quickly. Now we can carry on being the home of live sport and welcoming fans through the door.”