“Write an excuse for school and let them watch.”
That was England coach Thomas Tuchel’s advice for parents on whether children should be allowed to stay up to support England in their early morning World Cup match against Mexico on Monday.
The time difference means the round of 16 clash against the co-hosts in Mexico City will not kick off until 01:00 BST – and would not finish until closer to 04:00 should it go to penalties.
Speaking to the media after the Three Lions’ victory over DR Congo on Wednesday, a smiling Tuchel said: “There’s so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch.”
But some parents and teachers are concerned about the knock-on impact.
In the past, some schools have suspended lessons to allow children to watch games in the knockout stages of tournaments – but the awkward timing of the Mexico match poses some tricky logistical questions.
Let children stay up and risk a wasted school day on Monday – or force young fans to miss what could be a vital victory on the way to World Cup glory?
Unsurprisingly, parents are divided.
One mum, from Epping in Essex, said of the prospect of her two young children staying up: “They couldn’t even if they wanted to.
“They struggled to make it to the 21:00 kick off for the Ghana match.”
Another parent said they would allow the kids to watch the match live, but expected them to be ready for school the next morning.
They wrote on X: “Mine will be watching and still going into the school the next day.
“What’s the big deal? The recent thunderstorms woke then up at 2am and kept them awake for hours and they were fine the next day going to school.”
A third parent praised Tuchel’s comments and called for every pupil to be given Monday off of school.