Keir Starmer is preparing to declare a national bank holiday should England win the 2026 World Cup, with Downing Street sources indicating the day off would likely fall on Friday 24 July. The Prime Minister has refrained from confirming the date publicly, stating he does not wish to “jinx” the team’s prospects as they approach Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway in Miami.
The proposed holiday would allow Thomas Tuchel’s squad time to return from the final in New Jersey—scheduled for Sunday 19 July—before a potential open-top bus parade through central London. Starmer, who is expected to travel to the United States for the final if England progress, would likely have left office before any celebrations take place, with Andy Burnham widely tipped to succeed him as Prime Minister and host captain Harry Kane and his teammates at Number 10.
Tournament Progression
England face Norway in Miami this Saturday for a place in the last four. Victory would set up a probable semi-final encounter against defending champions Argentina, presenting a significant hurdle in the Three Lions’ pursuit of a first world title since 1966. France remain the bookmakers’ favourites to win the tournament outright.
Starmer met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the NATO summit in Ankara, where he acknowledged the temporary diplomatic tension the fixture creates. “For 90 minutes on Saturday evening, we’ll have to go our different ways,” he remarked, despite describing bilateral relations as “as strong as it’s ever been.”
FIFA Relations
The Prime Minister revealed he had received multiple requests to approach FIFA regarding defender Jarell Quansah’s red card during the match against Mexico, but declined to intervene in the disciplinary process. He did, however, deploy diplomatic channels to oppose FIFA’s proposal to bring forward England’s group stage fixture against the hosts, arguing the change would hand Mexico an unfair advantage. The match ultimately proceeded at the originally scheduled time.
Captain Harry Kane leads the side into the knockout phase as they attempt to navigate a path to the final on 19 July.