Thomas Tuchel has encouraged parents to let their children stay up to watch England’s round of 16 World Cup clash against Mexico, with the match kicking off at 01:00 BST in Mexico City. Should the game go to penalties, it would not finish until closer to 04:00, leaving parents to weigh up the cost of a late night against missing a potentially crucial game.
Reaction among parents has been mixed. One mother from Epping in Essex said her two young children would not be staying up, explaining they had struggled to make it to the 21:00 kick-off for England’s match against Ghana. Another parent said their children would watch the game live but would still be expected in school the following morning, drawing a comparison on X to recent thunderstorms that had kept their kids awake until 2am with no ill effects the next day. A third parent went further, calling for all pupils to be given Monday off school entirely.
One headteacher has taken a different approach, opting to show a replay of the match at 07:00 on Monday so pupils can watch together while still getting a full night’s sleep. Steve Heal, headteacher of Malmesbury Church of England Primary School in Wiltshire, has asked parents not to reveal the result to their children before they arrive, wanting every pupil to experience the match together.
Heal said school attendance remains important but acknowledged the significance of major international sporting events for young people. Staff at the school are preparing seats and food for all 420 students, though Heal said he realistically expects only around half to show up. The headteacher, who believes England will win on penalties, is among those hoping the early hours kick-off will be worth the disruption.
Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
