Pubs in England and Wales will now be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday, allowing football fans to watch the Three Lions’ World Cup clash with Mexico to the final whistle.
The round-of-16 match in Mexico City kicks off at 1am UK time.
The government had initially said it would not relax licensing laws further than they already have been for the World Cup.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday afternoon that pubs could stay open until the final whistle.
Monday’s match is not expected to finish until after 3am.
The government had initially decided not to extend licencing hours further, but u-turned on Thursday evening.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the decision was good news for both supporters and pubs.
“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” he said.
Publicans and businesses welcomed the change. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We all know the best place to watch the match is down the local.”
Licensing hours had already been extended for the World Cup from 11pm to 1am for games with kick-offs from 5pm up to 9pm and up until 2am for kick-offs after 9pm.
Individual pubs normally have to apply to their local council for extended opening hours, at least five working days in advance.
Boston World Cup host committee says fans will be allowed to tailgate for all seven matches at the Gillette Stadium.
Published On 28 Apr 202628 Apr 2026
In a reversal of an earlier decision, FIFA will allow tailgating at World Cup games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Boston World Cup host committee announced.
The committee said on Monday that the shift conforms with local policies that allow tailgating “like any other event hosted at the stadium as there are no venue restrictions or local public safety restrictions in place that would prohibit it”.
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FIFA originally stated that tailgating would not be allowed at any of the 104 matches, of which the United States is hosting 78, causing an uproar among football fans in the country.
The US is cohosting the 2026 tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The Gillette Stadium – rebranded as the Boston Stadium during the World Cup to comply with FIFA’s policy prohibiting corporate-sponsored names for tournament venues – will host five group-stage matches, one round-of-32 match and a quarterfinal match at the home of the National Football League’s (NFL) New England Patriots.
The Gillette Stadium will host seven World Cup games [File: Steven Senne/AP]
Patriots games, New England Revolution games and concerts allow tailgating at the stadium.
Space will be severely reduced from what is normally available. There are about 20,000 parking spots available for Patriots games, but only about 5,000 will be available for public use during the World Cup.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has set train prices at $80 for a round trip from Boston to Foxborough for tournament games, four times what it charges for NFL and MLS games. There is also an express bus option that will depart from various Boston-area locations, which will cost $95 for a round trip.
New York City announced on Monday that a fan fest for each of the city’s five boroughs will be held in conjunction with World Cup matches at the MetLife Stadium – to be known as New York New Jersey Stadium – in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
[Al Jazeera]
What is tailgating in the US?
In the context of US sports, tailgating is a pre-game social event that sees fans of a team park their cars outside the stadium hosting the game. The supporters then gather around these parked cars to socialise by drinking, eating, and often cooking on site while they soak in the match-day atmosphere despite not being inside the venue.
It can often begin several hours before the start of the action inside the stadium. The culture is most common during NFL matches and is especially popular among fans of US football.
Which other US stadiums are hosting the World Cup?
The USA will open their World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 at the SoFi Stadium, to be renamed the Los Angeles Stadium, in Inglewood, California.
The MetLife Stadium will host the final on July 19.
