Tuchel wants young England fans to stay up for 1am World Cup clash - but should they?

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Tuchel wants young England fans to stay up for 1am World Cup clash - but should they? Figure caption, 'Write an excuse for school' - TuchelByHenry MoorePublished2 July 2026, 20:17 BSTUpdated 22 minutes ago"Write an excuse for school and let them watch. " That was England coach Thomas Tuchel's advice for parents on whether children should be allowed to stay up to support England in their early morning World Cup match against Mexico on Monday.

The time difference means the round of 16 clash against the co-hosts in Mexico City will not kick off until 01:00 BST - and would not finish until closer to 04:00 should it go to penalties. Speaking to the media after the Three Lions' victory over DR Congo on Wednesday, a smiling Tuchel said: "There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. "But some parents and teachers are concerned about the knock-on impact.

The Details

In the past, some schools have suspended lessons to allow children to watch games in the knockout stages of tournaments - but the awkward timing of the Mexico match poses some tricky logistical questions. Let children stay up and risk a wasted school day on Monday - or force young fans to miss what could be a vital victory on the way to World Cup glory? Unsurprisingly, parents are divided.

One mum, from Epping in Essex, said of the prospect of her two young children staying up: "They couldn't even if they wanted to. "They struggled to make it to the 21:00 kick off for the Ghana match. "Another parent said they would allow the kids to watch the match live, but expected them to be ready for school the next morning.

They wrote on X: "Mine will be watching and still going into the school the next day. "What's the big deal? The recent thunderstorms woke then up at 2am and kept them awake for hours and they were fine the next day going to school.

What Experts Say

"A third parent praised Tuchel's comments and called for every pupil to be given Monday off of school. Figure caption, Kane scores late winner as England overcome DR Congo to reach last 16One headteacher has said his school will be showing a replay of the match at 07:00 on Monday so pupils can enjoy it together and still get a good night's sleep. Steve Heal, headteacher of Malmesbury Church of England Primary School in Wiltshire, said: "I've asked parents not to tell their children the result before they arrive at school because we want everyone to experience the ups and downs together.

"School really matters and attendance is so important, but we also know just how significant these international sporting events are for children. "Heal, who thinks England will win on penalties, said staff would prepare enough seats and food for all 420 students - but "realistically" only expects half to turn up. He added: "For many of these children, this is a once-in-a-childhood opportunity to experience a World Cup match with their friends and classmates.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.