UK PM says bank holiday if England win World Cup

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated the government would consider declaring a special bank holiday if England's men's football team wins the FIFA World Cup, a victory that would end a 60-year drought. Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, July 8, Starmer responded to questions about a potential day off by saying he did not want to "jinx it," but suggested the matter could be revisited if England reaches the final.

The comments come as England prepares for a quarterfinal match against Norway in Miami on Saturday, July 11. A win would see the team advance to a semifinal in Atlanta on July 15 against either Switzerland or Argentina. The World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey. Government sources indicate that Friday, July 24, has been discussed as the most likely date for a celebratory bank holiday, allowing time for the team's potential return and a victory parade.

Starmer, a lifelong football fan, praised England's dramatic 3-2 round of 16 victory over Mexico in Mexico City earlier in the week as "one of the best England performances I've ever seen." At the summit, he engaged in lighthearted banter with Norwegian...