World Cup roundup: Switzerland, Portugal, England pub hours
Switzerland won their first knockout match in 88 years, Portugal advanced with Ronaldo, and England pubs were allowed to stay open until 5am for the match against Mexico.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Switzerland have won a knockout match at the World Cup for the first time in 88 years, beating Algeria 2-0 in the final round of 32 game on Thursday. The comfortable victory sets up a last-16 tie against Spain, who easily defeated Austria 3-0. Spain are growing in the tournament and will now face neighbours Portugal, who made it through after a dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia.
Portugal's match was a rollercoaster. Croatia led through Ivan Perisic's finish, leaving Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo on a cliff edge. Ronaldo, at 41 and playing in his sixth World Cup, scored a penalty to level the match. He was then substituted, and a younger forward gave Portugal a late lead. In stoppage time, Croatia bundled the ball in, but VAR intervened. The spike on the graph showed a noise on the ball, and the goal was ruled offside. Croatia's 40-year-old Luka Modric had to leave the stage, and Portugal moved forward on a wave of emotion. The team held aloft the number of the late Diogo Jota, marking a year since they lost a teammate.
England fans can now plan for their overnight match against Mexico on Monday after the government announced emergency legislation to allow pubs to stay open until 5am. The game kicks off at 1am UK time. The government had previously indicated it would not extend pub licences beyond the 2am deadline agreed for World Cup games, but changed course. Individual pubs normally have to apply to their local council for extended hours at least five working days in advance. The emergency legislation will bypass that process.
Some pubs expressed concern about arranging staff at short notice, but the majority welcomed the news. The British Beer and Pub Association said the tournament could sell 55 million more pints worth £275 million. Fans are now weighing up how to balance the late night with work the next morning. Some plan to take Monday off, while others will still go to work. The government says parents will make their own decisions about children staying up, and ministers want everyone to enjoy the game, but children should still be in school on Monday. Fans are urged to drink responsibly and plan their journey home as England prepare to face co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One |
|---|---|---|
| Croatia had a goal disallowed after a VAR review using ball-chip technology (snickometer). | ||
| Pubs in England and Wales were allowed to stay open until 5am for the England vs Mexico match, after the government extended licensing hours. | · | |
| Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0, their first knockout win in 88 years. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News provided a comprehensive roundup of the day's World Cup action, focusing on the dramatic Portugal-Croatia match and the human interest angle of Cristiano Ronaldo's likely last World Cup. It also gave significant coverage to the government's last-minute decision to extend pub hours for England's match against Mexico, including economic impact and fan reactions. The tone was neutral and informative, with a mix of match reports and logistical details.
- “Switzerland have won a knockout match at the tournament for the first time in 88 years.”
- “Portugal made it through to the round of 16 after scoring in a dramatic final few minutes to beat Croatia 2-1.”
- “England fans can start making plans for their overnight match with Mexico on Monday after pubs were told that they can stay open until five in the morning.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.