England has made it to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and the country is buzzing with excitement. The team's progress has sparked discussions about a potential bank holiday to celebrate a possible win in the final.
The idea of an extra bank holiday has been floated by Prime Minister Starmer, who has suggested that it could be one of his last acts as prime minister. If England were to reach the final, Starmer has hinted that he might give the green light to a special day to celebrate. However, he has been cautious not to jinx the team's chances, saying 'ask me again if we get to the final.'
The proposed bank holiday would likely fall on 24 July, the Friday following the final. In contrast, the government opted against granting a bank holiday last Monday following England's win over Mexico, which had a delayed kick-off of 2am. Instead, pubs were granted permission to stay open until 5am, and many boozers across the country were packed out as Tuchel's side sealed a historic 3-2 win.
England fans could be in for another celebratory night if the team reaches the final, with players like Jude Bellingham already sending messages to fans encouraging them to 'have another shot' and take the day off from work. Bellingham scored twice in Mexico City and said in his post-match message, 'My god, if you can't enjoy a night like this, just for one night, then I don't know what it's worth.'
However, not all news is positive for England, as a red card was shown to Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah for a reckless challenge in the second-half against Mexico. The incident came amid controversy surrounding Donald Trump's decision to personally step in to ensure USA striker Folarin Balogun was available to play against Belgium.
Starmer has ruled out intervening in the case of Quansah's red card, saying 'I can't tell you how many messages I've had to rescind the red card that we received in the early hours of Monday.' He added, 'I hasten to add, I haven't attempted to do that.'
