Which days to take off work so you can watch every England game at World Cup 2026

Thomas Tuchel’s England will face late-night kick-offs in the US when they fly off to FIFA World Cup 2026 and some fans will want to book annual leave to revel in the tournament’s glory

England are just a few months away from launching their World Cup 2026 campaign. And supporters of Thomas Tuchel’s team might want to consider taking some time off work to recover from the inevitable excitement and potential sore heads.

The Three Lions will head to North America in June, following an impressive World Cup qualifying campaign in which they won every match without conceding a single goal. In December, England learned their group stage opponents when they were drawn into Group L. All three of their group matches will be held in the United States.

Depending on whether England finish top of Group L or as runners-up, their route to a potential final could vary. But the Manchester Evening News has suggested the best days to book off work to recuperate from what promises to be a thrilling tournament.

Group Stage

England’s campaign kicks off on Wednesday, June 17, with a challenging match against Croatia. The game will be held at Texas’ AT&T Stadium and is set to start at 9pm UK time. For fans not working late shifts, it would be wise to take Thursday, June 18, off work, as the match is likely to finish around 11pm the previous night.

England’s match against Ghana will take place at the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on Tuesday, June 23, also kicking off at 9pm UK time. Therefore, those wishing to relax after the game should consider taking Wednesday, June 24, off work.

England’s final group match is against Panama and will take place at the World Cup final venue, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The kick-off is slightly later at 10pm on Saturday, 27 June.

While supporters will have most of Sunday to recover from this encounter, Monday, 29 June, is an option for those who need additional time to recuperate.

Round of 32

Should England top their group, they’ll face a third-placed qualifier in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday, 1 July. This match would commence at 12am in the early hours of Thursday morning, making Thursday, 2 July, the ideal day to take a well-deserved break.

However, if the Three Lions finish second in their group, they’d play the second-place team in Group K in Toronto, Canada. This match would be held at an even later time, 1am on Friday, 3 July, making that Friday an excellent day to take some annual leave.

Round of 16

Provided England top Group L and advance to the round of 16, they’d play on Sunday, 5 July, in Mexico City. With this match kicking off at 11pm UK time, Monday, 6 July, is the best day to take off as the clash will only end in the early hours of Monday morning.

If the Three Lions finish second, they’d return to Texas for a 10pm kick-off on Monday, 6 July. It would be advisable to take Tuesday, 7 July, off work after this late match, unless fans prefer to book the day of the game off to allow themselves time to build up to the action.

Quarter-final

Should England top their group and continue to advance, they would find themselves playing at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. This quarter-final match is scheduled for 8pm UK time on Saturday, 11 July, meaning fans won’t need to take any annual leave unless they plan to take the following Monday off.

If England finish as runners-up in their group, there’s also no real necessity to book any days off, as their match would be on Friday, 10 July. The game will be held at California’s SoFi Stadium and kick off at 8pm, giving supporters the entire weekend to recover if they’re not working.

Semi-final

Both semi-finals are set to take place on Wednesday, 15 July. This means that if England play in Atlanta on 15 July, having topped their group, fans might want to consider taking Thursday, 16 July, off after this 8pm kick-off.

If England finish second in their group, then it would be best to take the Wednesday off work, with the match in Dallas starting only at 1am UK time.

Final

If England manage to reach their first World Cup final in six decades, they’d play on Sunday, 19 July, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The final kicks off at 8pm, and it’s likely that offices across the country would be operating with minimal staff on Monday, 20 July, should the Three Lions clinch some historic silverware.

It’s also worth noting that England could progress through their group by finishing as one of the best-performing third-placed teams, though their route to the final would be significantly different.

The best days to take leave from work to catch all England matches at World Cup 2026

• Thursday, June 18 (Post-Croatia)
• Wednesday, June 24 (Post-Ghana)
• Monday, June 29 (Post-Panama)
• Thursday, July 2 (If England Win Group L) OR Friday, July 3 (If 2nd)
• Monday, July 6 (If England Win Group L) OR Tuesday, July 7 (If 2nd)
• Thursday, July 16 (If England Win Group L) OR Wednesday, July 15 (If 2nd)
• Monday, July 20 (The Final)