A plan for an extra bank holiday in England has been put forward, as the Three Lions kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Motion for a Bank Holiday
MPs have lodged a plan for "Bank holiday for celebrations if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup" via an Early Day Motion (EDM). This motion has been signed by six Members. It has not yet had any amendments submitted.
The motion states: "That this House notes that the final of the 2026 World Cup will be played on Sunday 19 July 2026; recognises that a World Cup victory by England would be a rare national moment likely to bring together families, neighbours and communities across the country, including through local celebrations in town centres, community venues and grassroots sports clubs; believes that enabling people to celebrate together would strengthen community spirit and provide an opportunity for shared civic pride; and calls on the Government, in the event of England winning the World Cup on 19 July 2026, to designate Monday 20 July 2026 as an additional bank holiday."
Cross-Party Support
The first six Members who have signed to support the motion are the sponsors. The primary sponsor is generally the person who tabled the motion and has responsibility for it. The date shown is when the Member signed the motion. Those who have signed it include Lee Pitcher, Luke Akehurst, Jim Shannon, Gideon Amos, James McMurdock, and Liz Jarvis. This means DUP, Liberal Democrats, Labour Party, and Independent MPs have backed the motion in cross-party support.
England's Victory
Harry Kane's double and a goal apiece from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford ensured England secured a 4-2 win in Dallas. "I thought it was a game of two halves. In the first half, we were OK," Kane told ITV. "[We were] really disappointed to concede in the way we did. I thought we dropped off. Credit to the manager, he gave us a speech at half-time and said if we lose, we lose in our way, and I think we saw that in the way we came out in the second half. We went full gas and they couldn't live with it. Credit to everyone for the first game of the tournament."
