A no-nonsense guide to the best York pubs to watch England bring it home in the World Cup

With exam season at a close, many York students are swapping out their energy drinks for pints and settling down to watch the kick-off of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

While Scotland has managed to make history winning their first World Cup game in over 20 years, England is set to being it home this weekend against Panama (we hope).

The new style of seeding meaning England will not meet the likes of Spain, Argentina, Brazil or France unless it reaches the semi-finals – but it’s matches in Group 7 currently promise victory for the England Squad.

To prevent you getting carried away with singing It’s Coming Home and forgetting to pick a pub, here are the best Pubs in York to watch the World Cup from.

The Old Bank

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Located on Lendal Street, The Old Bank is a fan favourite with uni students regardless the weather or if there is sport showing.

However this tried and tested student pub promises a strong choice of where to watch the match from.

Having screens inside and outside the venue, it offers an optimal choice of tables to support England from.

Its best strength? The pub garden, providing the perfect location to support England during this weeks heat wave.

Tank and Paddle

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Much like The Old Bank, Tank and Paddle is a tried and tested student sports bar.

Located on Bridge Street, many of us are familiar with the bar on our weekly pilgrimage to Salvos.

It promises to show every single match the Three Lions will compete in across the summer.

In order to guarantee a table, the bar recommends booking ahead.

The Punch Bowl

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Located on Stonegate and built nearly as long ago as when England won the World Cup, The Punch Bowl offers historic location to watch the tournament from.

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For those of us to forgetful to remember to book a table, The Punch Bowl may be your saving grace, offering tables only on a walk-in  basis.

The pub offers Real Ales and traditional pub food for you to enjoy alongside your supporting of the England Squad.

Keystones

Next on the list is Keystones. In famous for its pub garden, Keystones offers the perfect outdoor location to watch the England team from.

It website strongly suggests booking ahead of time, as the pub expects to be busy with every England game.

The Charles

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For those of us wanting to avoid the city centre, The Charles is a tried and tested location to watch any sports match from.

With a pub garden to challenge Keystones, it also provides an excellent outdoor location to support the England team from.

In a running theme, to guarantee a good seat it is important to get down early, with all outdoor seats operating on a first come-first served  basis.

Nags Head

Another Wednesday night classic, the Nags Head on Micklegate is promising brilliant nights of live sports across the World Cup.

Breaking the them of book ahead, the pub announced it is putting “a red card on bookings”, meaning you can simply walk in and watch the game.

To simplify the stress, you can simply turn up, grab a pint and watch the start of England’s World Cup campaign.

Lendal Cellars

Located on the same road as The Old Bank, Lendal Cellars offers a more hidden and secretive location to watch Wednesdays game from.

In order to screen the tournament, the pub has extended its opening hours. Promising constant live streaming of the tournament.

Again, it is strongly recommended that you book ahead to score a table to watch the matches from.

It should also be noted that many of the pubs included in this article are MIXR pubs or offer student discount; in order to save a few pennies we recommend asking at the bar when you order!