Tesco will close its Express stores early if England reaches the World Cup final.
The decision will only affect its Express stores in England, which will close at 7.30pm instead of the usual 10pm or 11pm.
Kevin Tindall, managing director of UK operations at Tesco, said: “We appreciate just how much this would mean to so many of our colleagues.
“So if England makes it through to the final, we will close our Express stores across England in time for all colleagues to be able to celebrate with their family and friends.
“We will reopen as normal the following day.”
The final kicks off at 8pm, and the early closure is intended to give staff time to get home or meet friends to watch the game.
Tesco said all staff would be paid for their full shifts.
Larger Tesco stores will already be closed by that time, as the match falls on a Sunday.
All Tesco Express stores will reopen as usual the following morning.
Tesco said online grocery deliveries already scheduled for Sunday evening would not be affected.
Stores in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will follow normal opening hours.
When is England’s next match?
England will play Argentina in their World Cup semi-final match on Wednesday (July 15) at 8pm UK time.
In the other semi-final, France and Spain will play each other on Tuesday (July 14) also at 8pm UK time, so England will know their potential final opponent before their semi-final.
When is the World Cup final?
The World Cup final will be played on Sunday (July 19) and will take place at 8pm UK time.
It will air on both BBC One and ITV1.
Who do you think will win the World Cup this year? Let us know in the comments or in the poll above.
