First Minister John Swinney has put forward a proposal to make June 15 a Scottish national bank holiday, marking the country's men's football team competing in their inaugural World Cup tournament since 1998.
Scotland's opening fixture sees them take on Haiti in Boston, with kick-off scheduled for 2am on Sunday June 14.
The proposed day off would fall the morning after this historic match, giving fans the opportunity to recover from the late-night viewing.
The designation still requires formal approval through royal proclamation before it can be officially confirmed.
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The holiday's reach would be restricted to those directly employed by the Scottish government, meaning private sector workers and UK government employees in Scotland would not automatically receive the day off.
Individual employers retain full discretion over whether to grant their staff leave, with no legal requirement to observe the bank holiday.
First Minister John Swinney has put forward a proposal to make June 15 a Scottish national bank holiday, marking the country's men's football team competing in their inaugural World Cup tournament since 1998
|GETTY
This arrangement mirrors the existing St Andrews' Day bank holiday, where businesses outside the Scottish government are under no obligation to close or provide time off.
Private companies face no restrictions on trading during bank holidays, and notably, major Scottish high street banks already follow English bank holiday schedules to align with their operations south of the border.
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Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 to qualify for the World Cup in astonishing fashion | PASpeaking at an event in Glasgow, Swinney expressed his enthusiasm for the occasion: "The whole nation will come to a standstill in June - even more so in July once we've seen off Brazil and progressed to the knockout stages."
He described the tournament as "a moment 28 years in the waiting" and emphasised his desire for widespread participation in the celebrations.
The First Minister highlighted the broader economic potential, stating the World Cup offers Scotland a chance "to be on the world stage, to attract business development, to create tourism and hospitality interest within the country and to make deep and lasting cultural and sporting connections."
Scotland possesses the authority to establish bank holidays independently from the rest of the United Kingdom.
Scotland players and staff celebrate reaching the 2026 World Cup
| GETTYThe process for creating such a holiday involves the First Minister advising the Privy Council, which serves as an advisory body to the monarch, before receiving formal sign-off from the King through royal proclamation.
Following their opener against Haiti, Steve Clarke's side will face Morocco in Boston on 19 June, before concluding their group stage campaign against Brazil in Miami on 24 June, with both matches kicking off at 11pm.
Swinney has also indicated the government would collaborate with local authorities regarding extended pub opening hours throughout the tournament.
It will mark Scotland's first appearance at a World Cup since 1998.