Tescon will close its 1800 Express stores in England early on Sunday if they make the Three Lions make the final.

The major retailer's Express stores are to close at 7.30pm instead of the usual 10pm or 11pm to allow employees to watch a final involving England.

The UK's biggest grocer explained that the move would allow thousands of colleagues to get home or to the pub in time for kick-off, while still receiving their normal pay for those hours.

Those employees who do not want to watch the match will be also paid as normal.

Tesco’s managing director of UK stores, Kevin Tindall, said: “We will be cheering on the Three Lions tonight against the Netherlands and hope they reach a second successive Euros final.

“We appreciate just how much this would mean to so many of our colleagues, and we want them to be able to celebrate with their family and friends.

“So, if we make it through to the final, we will close our stores across England in time for them to get behind Gareth Southgate and the team, and we’ll all be hoping that football will be coming home.”

If England beats the Netherlands on Wednesday, the squad will face Spain in Berlin at 8 pm on Sunday for a chance to become the first England men’s team to win a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup.

Tesco's larger stores will have already closed in time for kick-off since the match falls on a Sunday.

The supermarket has also confirmed that its stores will reopen as normal the following morning, with the majority from 6 am or 7 am.

Recommended reading

Customers have been reassured that stores would still be open as normal during the daytime on Sunday, so they can stock up on any essential pre-match supplies.

All online orders already placed for Sunday evening would be honoured and delivered as normal.

Meanwhile stores in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland would continue to remain open in line with their usual hours.