First published on Thursday, July 9, 2026
Last updated on Thursday, July 9, 2026
New data from our HR software reveals that with every England match at the 2026 World Cup a measurable increase in annual leave bookings has occurred, with employers now preparing for what could become the busiest leave request period of the summer, should England reach the final.
According to our data, overall annual leave bookings rose by an average of 17% compared with the 4 weeks before the tournament.
Annual leave bookings rise after England games
Which England game had the biggest impact?
The game with the biggest impact so far is unsurprisingly the round of 16 knockout game against Mexico. With an early morning kick off and a big build up, the game drew attention from both avid fans and casual supporters. This saw annual leave bookings up by 39% the day of the game compared with an average over the previous 4 weeks.
While some fans opted to pull a “sickie” it appears more were keen to plan ahead. Anticipating a late night or very early morning and booking leave accordingly.
Not only is this easier for the employee, but it also makes scheduling and absence management simpler for business owners too.
"England's World Cup run is having a clear impact on workplace planning, with more employees booking annual leave around key fixtures. The positive takeaway is these gives businesses greater visibility of staffing level.
As excitement builds, particularly if England progress towards the final, employers should expect leave requests to continue rising.
Having a clear annual leave policy and communicating how requests will be handled can help businesses manage demand fairly while supporting their employees.”
Around mid-week games where kick off was just after work or in the early hours, businesses who were able to will have been flexible with staff. Offering early finishes or late starts, reducing the impact of each game on business operations. Compared to other fixtures where employees may have booked an entire day off to watch the game or used the day after to recover.
As employees take a proactive approach to booking their “mini-breaks” accommodating England fixtures, impact on businesses is far less than some may have anticipated.
England’s path to the World Cup final
England are only a few games away from the final, and if they beat Norway on Saturday, they will be headed to the semi-finals!
Based on booking trends seen after previous matches, we predict leave requests could increase by a whopping 40% should England qualify.
If the Three Lions reach the World Cup final, Monday 20th July may well be the biggest “mini-break” moment of the summer.
Is an extra Bank Holiday on the cards?
There have already been calls for an additional bank holiday, with several MPs backing the proposal. And the PM, Sir Keir Starmer is hinting this could be pencilled in for the following Friday, 24th July. Sir Keir said: "On the question of a bank holiday, I think I don't want to jinx it but ask me again if we get to the final."
"This tournament shows that major sporting events have a measurable impact on workforce planning. Rather than treating leave requests as a surprise, employers can use data from previous tournaments to anticipate staffing levels and prepare."
With eyes on the staff holiday data, BrightHR will continue monitoring workplace trends and employee behaviours as the tournament reaches its final stages, tracking annual leave bookings, sickness absence and lateness following each England match.
There’s only one question left to ask: Is football coming home?
