North East England gears up for World Cup Mexico match
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Mexico vs England: 'Whoever wins, I get to party'
5 July 2026
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Pamela TickellNorth East and Cumbria
BBC
Mexicans at Newcastle University said they would be happy no matter who wins
Mexicans in the north-east of England say they are excited for the upcoming World Cup knockout match but their hearts are divided.
The round-of-16 clash in Mexico City kicks off at 01:00 BST on Monday (18:00 Sunday local time) with pubs and bars across the region planning to stay open until 05:00 after licensing laws were relaxed.
Erika Servin Gonzalez, senior lecturer at Newcastle University, said: "Whoever wins, I get to party. We're amigos."
Meanwhile, some schools are planning to play highlights of the match on Monday morning including St Benedict's Catholic Primary School in Redcar and asked parents to keep the score secret.
Gonzalez, who is from Mexico and calls England home, warned it would be hard for any team that had not trained in the Estadio Azteca because of the altitude and pollution.
"The air can be very thick," she said.
"We're going to be happy no matter who wins."
Lecturer Erika Servin Gonzalez said she would party whichever way the game went
Schools across the North East announced plans for the match.
Greenland Community Primary School in Stanley called a non-uniform day and said pupils arriving any time until 10:00 would still receive their morning attendance mark.
"We'd like to give our families the opportunity to enjoy the occasion without worrying about the school run quite so early," a school statement said.
Wolviston Primary School in Billingham said it would be re-playing the match in the hall from 09:00 for children to watch.
Owen Humphreys/PA
Hospitality businesses in Newcastle said the World Cup games so far had been "huge"
Hospitality bosses also welcomed the longer opening hours.
Lee Miles, who runs the Tynesider pub on Gateshead High Street, said ministers had done the right thing to help the struggling hospitality sector.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It is huge for us, every game has been huge.
"The pub is losing money every week, so these big days and big nights are a huge help."
Monday's match is not expected to finish until at least 03:00.
Newcastle city centre business improvement district company NE1 Ltd said the night would present a challenge, but would nonetheless be a "huge boost" for pubs.
Director of communications Ben Whitfield said: "We've seen good attendance in the venues showing the games so far in the tournament and although this one might be more of a challenge, given the kick off time, we know the people of the North East are up to it."
Additional reporting by Daniel Holland, Local Democracy Reporting Service
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
More on this story
England enter the Azteca - where football kings are crowned
Redcar
Gateshead
Stanley
Billingham
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle University
Mexico
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