Overview
- The Home Office, which confirmed the plan Monday, approved a national extension for knockout matches featuring England or Scotland across England and Wales.
- Under the rules, pubs can serve two hours longer with last orders at 1am for 5–9pm kick‑offs and 2am for 9–10pm starts.
- The policy removes the need for individual licensing applications and could cover up to 13 ties from the round of 32 through the final.
- Venues report brisk sales for England games, with Flat Iron Square already sold out for Croatia and Big Penny Social down to limited space.
- The 2026 World Cup is in the United States, Mexico and Canada, so many UK kick-offs fall late at night, and industry groups expect the later hours to lift pub and nightlife takings.