Harry Kane has expressed his hope that England fans will be celebrating a World Cup quarter-final victory against Mexico as the sun rises, with pubs across England and Wales permitted to stay open until 5am for the 1am kick-off on Monday.
The Three Lions captain welcomed the government's decision to extend licensing hours, saying: “Obviously it’s good news that the pubs are staying open for the fans. We know how much the World Cup means to everyone and all the fans at home, so I’m hoping there will be a few all-nighters to be honest, just going all the way through and celebrating until the next day and then catch up on some sleep after that. I think everyone would love nothing more than to be celebrating as the sun rises at 5 or 6am.”
Kick-off time unchanged despite weather concerns
The match time remains at 1am UK time, despite speculation that FIFA might move it forward by six hours due to forecast thunderstorms in Mexico City. England boss Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the challenges of playing on home soil for Mexico, including an altitude of over 2,200 metres above sea level at the stadium.
Tuchel commented: “When you are inside of the bubble, it is actually quite calm, quite focused. Altitude: it is what it is. Home crowd: it is what it is. It is not in our favour. We need to overcome obstacles, but we have the spirit, we have the commitment, the pure will and the glue between the team to overcome these things.”
Pubs allowed to stay open until 5am
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that pubs in England and Wales could extend their opening hours until 5am for the match. A list of participating pubs in the Black Country and Birmingham has been published for fans to plan their viewing.
The England squad remains focused on the task ahead, with Kane leading the line as they aim to progress past Mexico and into the quarter-finals of the tournament.
