The King has announced a Scottish bank holiday for Monday, June 15, 2026, to mark Scotland's return to the FIFA World Cup after a 28-year absence. The decision follows a request from First Minister John Swinney and comes the day after Scotland's opening match against Haiti.
Scotland's men's national team will face Haiti on Sunday, June 14, with kick-off at 2am UK time. The bank holiday allows Scots to celebrate the team's first World Cup appearance since 1998.
Buckingham Palace issued the formal declaration on Wednesday. The statement cited the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 as the legal basis for the appointment. «To mark the achievement of Scotland's men's football team competing at the Fifa World Cup for the first time in 28 years, we consider it desirable that Monday, the fifteenth day of June in the year 2026 should be a bank holiday in Scotland,» the Palace announced.
First Minister celebrates
John Swinney confirmed the news in a post on X. «It's now official. Scotland will have an extra bank holiday on Monday 15 June to mark our return to the World Cup,» he wrote.
The bank holiday marks a significant moment for Scottish football. The national team last competed at a World Cup in 1998, making this year's qualification a milestone after nearly three decades.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
