All pubs will be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday for England’s crunch World Cup game against Mexico.
Keir Starmer has approved a move to relax licensing laws so fans can watch The Three Lions take on Mexico in the clash, due to start at 1am UK time.
Pubs have already been permitted to open later during England’s run in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
But Monday’s match at the Azteca fell outside of change, because its start time is too late.
Now, however, Sir Keir, a die-hard Arsenal fan, has removed the need for individual premises in England and Wales to apply for extended hours, in a move worth millions to the hospitality sector.
He said: “Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to.
“Pubs staying open til the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together.
“The whole country will be backing the team. Come on, England!”
open image in galleryOfficial figures show 16.3 million people tuned in to watch England beat the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday.
England captain Harry Kane secured a spot in the round of 16 for the men’s national football team after scoring two second-half goals.
Before the announcement, it had been up to councils to decide whether pubs can stay open late to allow fans to watch the end of the match, with local government secretary Steve Reed urging them to sign off on individual applications for extended hours.
Mr Reed is now writing to council leaders informing them of these changes.
Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “Pubs and fans will be over the moon about this decision, because we all know the best place to watch the match is down the local.
“This tournament is hugely important for our sector, so we’re delighted the government listened to our concerns and acted so quickly. Now we can carry on being the home of live sport and welcoming fans through the door.”
open image in galleryEngland manager Thomas Tuchel has also called for children to stay up late and watch the match.
Asked if the prime minister backs that call, Downing Street said “parents will make their own decision on that” but added “kids should be in school on Monday”.
Sir Keir’s spokeswoman said: “We want everyone to enjoy the game but kids should be in school on Monday.
“The PM has his usual packed schedule on Monday, so he’ll be facing the same dilemma as everyone else on whether to stay up.
“Win or lose, I think millions of England supporters will be at work on Monday, and the PM will be doing the same.”
Earlier education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith earlier said she planned to take a “disco nap” on Sunday afternoon and then stay up late to watch the match.
Responding to the move, Lib Dem MP Max Wilkinson said: “See you in the pub.”
He had earlier called for a blanket extension for licensing hours, saying refusing to grant one would be “the worst decision since the introduction of hydration breaks”.
Licensing hours were extended from 11pm to 1am for World Cup matches with kick-offs from 5pm to 9pm.
Pubs can also stay open until 2am if the kick off is after 9pm and up to 10pm.
Outside of those rules, pubs can apply to their local council for what is called a temporary event notice (TEN) to stay open late.
However, that must be submitted at least five working days beforehand, leaving it too late for pubs to apply.