The government decided not to extend the drinking hours of the England and Mexico game

The government has decided to extend the opening hours of pubs on Sunday evenings to allow fans to watch the England v Mexico World Cup match which kicks off in Mexico City at 1am in the UK.

In the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson asked whether they would consider extending Sunday licensing rules “so fans can enjoy the game in the pub”.

“If ministers don’t make a blanket extension to licensing hours, pubs will lose a real opportunity to make money,” Wilkinson said.

The government has relaxed the rules to accommodate matches starting later in the evening, but Business Minister Kate Dearden said there would be no further extension to the 1am kick-off.

“Depending on how late the game starts, pubs can stay open for an extra two to three hours, so pubs can open when the game is over,” she said.

“As for Sunday, unfortunately that doesn’t apply with the 1am kick-off but going forward we’re fully supporting our pubs so people can watch and support our lads, and hopefully it’s coming home.”

In April, the government relaxed licensing rules to allow England and Scotland fans to watch matches in pubs.

The concession time has been extended from 11 am to 1 pm for games starting from 5 pm to 9 pm.

In addition, pubs can stay open from 2:00 am to 9:00 am for starters and until 10:00 am.

Apart from these rules, a pub can apply to their local council, called a Temporary Occurrence Notice (TEN), to stay late.

However, it must be submitted within five working days, which is too late for pubs to apply on Thursday.

Some institutions had planned England’s progress in the tournament and requested advance notice of the event.

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We will be in close contact with the Government who want to show the game but have not got TENs.

“It would be a crying shame for the fans and the pubs if our local people couldn’t put on such an important match.”