Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 9
Starmer Hints at July 24 Bank Holiday if England Win 2026 World Cup
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 9

Starmer Hints at July 24 Bank Holiday if England Win 2026 World Cup

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 9

Summary

  • July 24 is the date under consideration for an extra bank holiday in England if Thomas Tuchel's side win the 2026 World Cup, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "ask me again if we get to the final."
  • England still need three wins to trigger that plan, starting with Saturday night's quarter-final against Norway, with the final scheduled for Sunday, July 19.
  • Starmer is widely expected to step down as prime minister on July 20 and be replaced by Andy Burnham, so an England run to the final could briefly complicate the handover if he attends the match.
  • The remarks stop short of a formal commitment but signal the government is already weighing a public holiday tied to a potential England triumph.

Insights

With a new PM imminent, who really holds power in the UK during the World Cup final?
Is a World Cup bank holiday a national celebration or a multi-billion pound economic gamble?
Can Andy Burnham's radical plan to 'rewire' Britain fix its deep regional inequalities?