England’s World Cup win sent pub sales soaring deep into Monday morning

Pubs and bars across England and Wales stayed busy deep into the night after England’s World Cup win over Mexico, as extended opening hours helped drive a sharp rise in late-night sales, according to new figures from the payments company Square.

The data points to an unusual trading pattern for the hospitality sector after the match. Square said purchases in pubs and bars between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Monday were up 367% from a typical Monday for the same hours, reaching levels that broadly matched a normal Saturday night. Activity remained strong even later. Between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., transactions rose 746% from a typical Monday morning and were about 55% higher than an average Saturday in that same period.

Across the full trading window from 5 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday, transactions increased 33%, which Square said amounted to roughly 41,000 additional purchases. The company said the figures were based on a like-for-like comparison using a stable group of pub and bar businesses in England and Wales.

The numbers reflect the commercial effect of allowing venues to stay open overnight for England’s knockout match. Many operators chose to trade through the early hours rather than close at their usual time, betting that fans would remain in pubs after the final whistle. According to Square, that decision translated into sales volumes more commonly associated with peak weekend trade than with the early hours of a Monday.

John O’Beirne, chief executive of Square International, said the overnight opening had delivered clear benefits for operators. He said hundreds of pubs across England and Wales decided to stay open through the night for the game and that the results showed the move paid off. He added that trade between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. matched what would normally be expected on a Saturday and that purchases remained strong after the match ended.

The latest figures add to signs that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is giving Britain’s hospitality industry a short-term lift at a time when many businesses are still dealing with pressure on alcohol sales and operating costs. Pubs in England and Wales had already been allowed to extend opening hours for England’s knockout matches, creating an opportunity to capture spending tied to late kickoffs and post-match celebrations.

That matters beyond pub tills. Stronger overnight traffic can affect ordering patterns for beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks, especially during major sporting events when demand becomes harder to predict by hour. For brewers, distributors and other drinks suppliers, data like this can help shape stock planning, staffing and replenishment decisions if venues continue to trade late during England’s run in the tournament.

Operators across the on-trade have been hoping that football crowds would bring extra footfall during the competition. Suppliers and pub groups have also invested around the tournament in expectation that major matches could help offset weaker consumer spending elsewhere. The surge recorded after the Mexico game suggests those expectations may be justified when licensing rules allow venues to stay open longer and fans remain out well past midnight.

England’s progress in the tournament means pubs may soon get another test of that model. With the team through to a quarterfinal against Norway on Saturday, many venues are expected to extend hours again in an effort to repeat the strong trading seen after the Mexico match. If fan turnout remains high, pubs and bars could once more see weekday overnight business perform more like a busy weekend service than a normal early morning shift.