King Charles has given approval for a World Cup bank holiday to mark Scotland’s participation in the men’s football finals for the first time in decades.
Monday 15 June 2026 has officially been confirmed as a national bank holiday, but only for Scotland, leaving many English football fans disappointed.
The holiday was proposed by first minister John Swinney to allow people, businesses and other organisations in Scotland to celebrate after the team’s opening game against Haiti. His Majesty King Charles has now approved the Royal Proclamation, confirming the bank holiday.
The presence of the Scottish team in the World Cup is significant for fans as it is the first time the men’s team has qualified since 1998.
Now, following Scotland’s win against Denmark in November, they will be playing their first game against Haiti at 2am BST on Sunday 14 June.
First minister John Swinney said he is “grateful” to the King for giving Scotland this opportunity to “come together and celebrate”.
He said: “Scotland will be on the world stage this summer and I want as many people as possible to be able to celebrate that moment. Football means a great deal to many people in this country and it has been almost three decades since our men’s national team played at the World Cup finals tournament. The joyous reaction when Steve Clarke and his players secured qualification demonstrated what it meant to end that long absence.
“We want to make the most of Scotland’s participation in this global sporting event by ensuring people have the opportunity to come together and celebrate – no matter the outcome of the match. That is why I proposed making the Monday following our opening game in Boston a national bank holiday.
“I am very grateful to His Majesty King Charles for approving the proposal and I encourage employers around the country to work with staff to put in place suitable arrangements that will allow as many of them as possible to join in the celebrations.”
Although the bank holiday has only been approved for Scotland, the UK parliament has published a motion to permit a bank holiday in England on Monday 20 July 2026 – but only if the country wins the World Cup.
The motion acknowledged “a World Cup victory by England would be a rare national moment likely to bring together families, neighbours and communities across the country, including through local celebrations in town centres, community venues and grassroots sports clubs”.
It added “enabling people to celebrate together would strengthen community spirit and provide an opportunity for shared civic pride.”
England will play their first game on 17 June against Croatia at 9pm BST.
