England’s national football team advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals following a dramatic 3-2 victory over co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on Sunday night, sending fans across England into a jubilant early-morning celebration despite the late kickoff and challenging conditions.
The match, originally set to begin earlier, was delayed by an hour due to severe weather, finally starting at 2 a.m. local time, which made the viewing time in England particularly late. Nevertheless, an estimated 17.8 million viewers stayed up to watch the game broadcast live. England overcame numerous obstacles including playing at high altitude in a hostile Azteca Stadium atmosphere, and coping with a red card received by Jarell Quansah during the second half. Jude Bellingham, who scored twice, was a key figure in the victory. Following the win, Bellingham encouraged fans and workers to take Monday off, saying, “Text your bosses and tell them you’re not coming in, simple as that,” and urged children to miss school in order to celebrate the success.
The late finish led to unusually quiet roads and public transport during Monday morning rush hour, suggesting many fans took the midfielder’s advice. Pubs and fan zones across England had stayed open until 5 a.m. to accommodate the match, with venues like The Garricks Head in Urmston, Greater Manchester, and Cramptons Sports Bar in Broadstairs, Kent, packed to capacity. Landlords described electric atmospheres lasting throughout the night, with fans celebrating enthusiastically. In London, thousands left pubs chanting “football’s coming home,” and Bellingham was honoured with a temporary renaming of a train station in southeast London to “Jude Bellingham Station.”
While many adults and older fans remained up, schools faced challenges with the late hour. Some opted to show replays on Monday morning. At Malmesbury Church of England Primary School, the principal requested parents not to reveal the result to students to preserve the viewing experience. Similarly, St. Luke’s Church of England Primary School near Sheffield organized a group viewing of the replay, with reports of excited children cheering together.
Not all government officials supported calls to miss school or work; Olivia Bailey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Early Education, emphasized the importance of attendance despite possible tiredness. However, some employers showed flexibility by allowing staff to come in late or work remotely. The Trades Union Congress called for understanding from employers regarding the unusual circumstances.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who watched the match with his son from the Downing Street flat, described it as “one of the greatest England matches I’ve ever seen.” Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly praised England’s forward Harry Kane, who scored a penalty and now has six goals in the tournament. Trump’s recent intervention with FIFA to overturn a red card for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun has been controversial, but the UK government declined to comment on whether it would seek a similar reversal regarding England’s red card during the match, leaving such disciplinary decisions to soccer authorities.
England will next face Norway in the quarter-finals on Saturday, with a kickoff time of 10 p.m. local time, providing a more conventional viewing hour for fans across the country.