Why pubs could be forced to kick England fans out halfway through World Cup knockout clash vs Mexico

England supporters planning to watch the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 showdown with Mexico at their local pub could face an unexpected problem.

Despite special licensing extensions for the tournament, many venues may still be forced to close before the match has even finished.

2am licence extension isn't sufficient for England's 1am kick-off

England's tricky encounter with El Tri at the Estadio Azteca kicks off at 1am (BST) on Monday morning (July 6th), creating a licensing headache for pubs across England.

Although the UK Government has temporarily relaxed licensing rules to allow pubs to serve until 2am during late-night World Cup fixtures, that extension still falls well short of covering the full match, which is unlikely to finish before around 3am if it remains within 90 minutes.

While ministers have encouraged local councils to approve applications for venues seeking to stay open even later, individual pubs still need permission from their local authority.

According to industry sources, via City AM, a number of applications to remain open until 5am have already been refused.

That means some pubs could be forced to ask customers to leave at half-time despite England being in the middle of one of their biggest World Cup matches in decades.

Hospitality leaders are now urging the Government to introduce a one-off nationwide extension for the Mexico clash.

Ros Morgan, chief executive of the Heart of London Business Alliance, said the current 2am cut-off “won't be sufficient” and argued that allowing pubs to remain open for the full match would give fans a safer place to watch while also providing a welcome boost to hospitality businesses.

FGG says: UK pub licensing rules could frustrate thousands of England fans

If the Three Lions' biggest match of the tournament so far is decided in the second half, it would be incredibly frustrating for supporters to be ushered out of pubs before the final whistle.

While many venues have secured later licences, others remain at the mercy of local council decisions.

Given the unique circumstances of a 1am kick-off, there is a strong case for a one-off nationwide extension that allows fans to watch the entire match safely in licensed venues rather than being forced onto the streets midway through the game.