The UK government says it will not extend pub and bar opening hours for England’s World Cup match against Mexico. The decision relates to licensing rules tied to the match’s scheduled start time. England’s game kicks off at 1am UK time, which falls outside ordinary licensing hours for pubs and other venues. Separate changes to late-night licensing laws have been discussed in connection with major events, but the government position is that the England v Mexico fixture does not fall within the scope of those rules. Multiple outlets report that because the match starts at 1am, venues would not automatically be able to open later than their usual limits under the planned licensing framework. The result is that pubs wishing to show the match may need to operate within existing licensing conditions, unless other local or event-specific permissions apply. The government’s stance is presented as a clear boundary between what the licensing changes cover and what time falls outside them.