Sir Keir Starmer is understood to be planning to declare a bank holiday should England's men's team win the 2026 World Cup, celebrating a first triumph since 1966. The prime minister declined to name a date so as not to jinx the team's prospects, but it would most likely fall on Friday 24 July. The move matters because it would mark a rare national celebration and give the Football Association time to organise an open-top bus parade through central London after the final in New Jersey on Sunday 19 July.

England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, face Norway in the quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday, with a likely semi-final against reigning champions Argentina to follow; France are tournament favourites. Notably, Starmer would have left office before any celebrations, leaving his expected successor, Andy Burnham, to host Harry Kane and the squad at No 10. Starmer also said he had refused requests to lobby Fifa over Jarell Quansah's red card against Mexico, though he did intervene diplomatically to block Fifa moving that fixture forward.