Millions of England fans are anticipated to leave work early on Wednesday to watch the national team's first World Cup knockout match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The game, kicking off at 5 p.m. BST, is expected to lead to the consumption of approximately 28 million pints of beer, equivalent to 3.5 million gallons. Many workers are expected to abandon desks and reschedule meetings to head to pubs or go home to watch the match, which will be broadcast on BBC One. This particular kickoff time is notable as it falls directly after the typical end of the workday for many.
The UK government has approved a nationwide late licensing extension, allowing all 35,000 pubs in Britain to remain open until 1 a.m. for England's knockout matches that start between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. This extension will enable pubs to serve patrons for an additional two hours, with an estimated 14 million pints to be consumed in licensed premises and another 14 million at home.
Experts suggest that some employees may take the day off entirely, with Alan Price, chief executive at BrightHR, noting that businesses should prepare for a slowdown from mid-afternoon and a potential increase in sickness absences. Mike Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, described the situation as a potentially significant trading opportunity for pubs, stating that the extended hours could be one of the biggest nights of the year for revenue.
This upcoming match follows England's 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday, with goals scored by Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Should England defeat DR Congo, they will advance to the last 16, where they are scheduled to play the winner of a match between Mexico and Ecuador. That potential next game is set to start in the UK in the early hours of Monday morning, possibly running as late as 4 a.m. if it goes to penalties. However, any hopes for a public holiday on the following Monday in the event of an England victory have been dismissed by a spokesperson for the Prime Minister, who stated there are no such plans.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, currently ranked 41st globally, finished third in Group K and were at the top of the third-place table. In other World Cup news, Germany was eliminated after a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, while Morocco advanced by defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout.