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The World Cup 2026 kicks off this week, marking Scotland’s first appearance in the tournament since 1998 — and this year brings with it an extraordinary development.

Before the opening fixtures for both England and Scotland, King Charles has approved a special one-off Bank Holiday for fans north of the border, allowing the Tartan Army to enjoy their late-night World Cup match without work-related concerns the following day.

This decision establishes a new precedent, and the question now arises: could England supporters expect a similar privilege?

Scotland’s first fixture in the 48-team tournament hosted across North America will see them take on Haiti on June 14. The game will be held at the Gillette Stadium, located near Boston, with a local start time of 9PM — translating to 2AM in Scotland.

This will be Scotland’s first World Cup match since their 1998 campaign, which ended at the group stage. To mark the occasion and accommodate the late schedule, King Charles approved the Bank Holiday after First Minister John Swinney proposed the idea. He reasoned that it would give Scotland fans enough opportunity to both cheer for their national team and recover before heading back to work.

If employers comply with the directive, Scottish supporters will now be able to stay up into the early hours to watch their team face Haiti, with no penalties for missing work the next day.

However, this decision has implications beyond Scotland. England fans may also experience similar scheduling challenges during the tournament.

The Three Lions have never previously been granted a Bank Holiday for a World Cup event. But if England finish at the top of Group L, they will play their first knockout-round fixture in Mexico City, with a 1AM UK kick-off time — a scenario that could potentially justify a comparable royal decree.

With King Charles having already set this precedent for Scotland, the possibility of an England-specific Bank Holiday during the World Cup is now more realistic than ever.

England’s group-stage campaign begins against Croatia on June 17 at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a kick-off time of 9PM BST. If Thomas Tuchel leads the team to top their group, a similar late-night fixture could await in the knockout phase.

King Charles’ decision has received mixed reactions, with some critics suggesting it might be excessive, given that Scotland’s match falls on a Saturday night leading into Sunday morning — and the Monday following has been declared a holiday. However, such criticism is likely to fade should England fans receive identical treatment later in the tournament.

For now, the Tartan Army can look forward to a well-deserved night of football celebration, while English fans wait to see if the same royal generosity will be extended to them should their team advance.