England World Cup win keeps pubs busy until dawn
Pubs and bars across England and Wales saw overnight trade surge after England’s World Cup victory over Mexico, with transactions matching or exceeding typical Saturday night levels into the early hours.
Pubs and bars across England and Wales enjoyed a sharp increase in overnight trade following England’s World Cup victory over Mexico, according to new figures from payments company Square.
Comparing transactions with typical trading patterns for the same hours, Square found that purchases between 1am and 3am on Monday rose by 367%, broadly matching the levels usually seen on a Saturday night.
Trade remained strong after the final whistle. Between 3am and 5am, transactions were up 746% on a typical Monday morning and around 55% higher than an average Saturday during the same period.
Across the full trading window from 5pm on Sunday to 5am on Monday, pub and bar transactions increased by 33%, equating to roughly 41,000 additional purchases.
The figures are based on a like-for-like comparison using a stable group of pub and bar businesses in England and Wales.
Extended opening hours pay off
John O’Beirne, chief executive of Square International, said the decision by many operators to remain open overnight had delivered clear commercial benefits.
“Hundreds of pubs across England and Wales made the call to stay open through the night for this game, and the numbers show it paid off. Trade between 1am and 3am matched what we’d expect on a Saturday, and purchases stayed strong past the final whistle.”
He added: “The pub and bar owners who chose to stay open were winners alongside England, and they can expect to have an even bigger night when England play Norway in the quarter-final on Saturday.”
Tournament continues to boost hospitality
The latest figures build on expectations that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would provide a welcome lift for the hospitality sector.
As previously reported by the drinks business, pubs in England and Wales have been permitted to extend opening hours for England’s knockout matches, giving operators the opportunity to capitalise on late kick-offs.
Brewers, drinks suppliers and pub operators have all invested heavily in the tournament in the hope that increased footfall will help offset wider pressures on alcohol sales and operating costs.
With England now through to the quarter-finals, many venues are expected to remain open late once again as they look to build on the strong trading performance recorded against Mexico.
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