Football fans will turntheir attention early Monday morning to the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, which will host the match between England and Mexico in the 2026 World Cup.
England star Harry Kane, captain of the "Three Lions" team, expressed his hope that his team would provide the perfect antidote to the gloom of Monday morning by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup.
Loyal fans of the "Three Lions" in their country had been given a fleeting hope that the match could be watched at a more convenient time, as FIFA was in discussions to bring forward the kickoff time to 7 pm British Summer Time (12 noon local time) due to the threat of thunderstorms.
However, FIFA stuck to the original match time after opposition from both football federations, meaning fans would have to stay up all night, as the match was still scheduled to kick off at 1 a.m. on Monday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had extended the weekend when he announced earlier this week that pubs could stay open until 5 a.m., and Caine wants fans to spend the entire night without sleep.
Harry Kane said, in comments highlighted by ESPN: "Obviously, the fact that pubs are staying open to the public is good news."
The England captain added: "We know how important the World Cup is to everyone and to all the fans back home, so I hope some people will honestly stay up all night, keep going until the end and celebrate until the next day, and then get some sleep afterwards."
Kane continued: "Obviously it's too late and we all appreciate that support. That's what makes the World Cup so unique at times, these different times and the different memories it creates."
Harry Kane concluded: "I think everyone would love nothing more than celebrating with the sunrise at five or six in the morning."
