Millions set to leave work early to cheer England on against DR Congo in first World Cup knockout match while sinking 3.5m GALLONS of beer

Millions of England fans are expected to leave work early on Wednesday and drink 28 million pints of beer to support the Three Lions at the World Cup.

Thomas Tuchel’s men will play their first qualifying match in this year’s tournament at 17:00 BST and travel to Atlanta to face the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Workers are expected to leave their desks and rush to pubs, escaping last-minute meetings, or dash home to watch the Round of 32 match, which will be broadcast on BBC One.

The 5pm kick-off time is notable given it will be England’s only match of the tournament. Most people will start right after they finish their work for the day.

Fans are expected to drink 28 million pints (equivalent to three and a half million gallons) of beer in the bar and at home from kick-off.

The match also means that UK fans will benefit for the first time from the late licensing extension until 1am nationwide; This will see the pub doors kept open from 23:00 until 01:00.

In the extra two hours of drinking time, 14 million pints will be spent in bars during the match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and another 14 million drunk at home.

Some experts predict that some staff will go even further, falling ill on ‘Wednesday Bunk’ and devoting full days to alcohol-fuelled pre-match parties.

Celebrating Jude Bellingham’s goal as fans watch at Depot Mayfield in Manchester

Tonight’s match follows England’s 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday night, thanks to goals from captain Harry Kane and midfielder Jude Bellingham.

The UK Government’s general license extension allows all 35,000 pubs in Britain to stay open until 1am for England qualifiers, which start between 5pm and 9pm.

England’s victory over DR Congo will push Thomas Tuchel’s men into the last 16, where they will face either Mexico or Ecuador in Mexico City on Sunday night.

This match, which will start at 1am (BST) on Monday morning in England, could continue until 4am if penalties are involved.

But dreams of a public holiday tied to England’s victory were dashed this week.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister told reporters on Monday there were ‘no plans’ for a bank holiday next Monday if England win the last 16.

To set up the last 16 clash at 1am, England must first get past the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is ranked 41st in the global rankings and third in Group K.

Mike Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, which represents pubs and other venues, said: ‘A 5pm opening on Wednesday means pubs will be full from the afternoon; Later licensing hours mean pubs can make the most of what could be one of the biggest trading nights of the year.

‘Thousands of extra pints will be drawn into pubs. ‘This is a vital boost to intake at a time when many venues desperately need additional income.’

Fans jump on the tables in Newcastle as they celebrate England’s victory on Saturday

England secured a 2-0 win against Panama on Saturday night thanks to Harry Kane (pictured) and Jude Bellingham

Alan Price, managing director of BrightHR, which tracks the absence of more than a million employees across more than 50,000 UK companies, said: ‘It’s looking like a ‘Bunk Off Wednesday’ with the England game kicking off at 5pm.

‘Businesses should expect a slowdown from mid-afternoon onwards as millions of workers leave work early to go to the pub or return home in time for the match.

‘And employers are likely to be absent due to illness, with some staff tempted to spend an entire afternoon in the bar before a match.’

On the other hand, Kylian Mbappe scored twice to become the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifying matches as France beat Sweden 3-0 in the last 16 match on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Erling Haaland was also on the scoresheet as Norway defeated Ivory Coast 2-1.

Monday night saw Germany’s first World Cup penalty shootout defeat; lost to Paraguay, which had a 450-1 chance of winning the tournament.

Morocco, which finished second in Group C, beat the Netherlands 3-2 in penalties, thus eliminating the Netherlands from the tournament.

Brazil scored a stunning last-gasp win against five-time world champions Japan.