England manager Thomas Tuchel has urged parents across the nation to provide their children with written excuses to miss school following Monday's World Cup last-16 encounter with Mexico.
The fixture at the Azteca Stadium kicks off at 1am British time, presenting an unprecedented scheduling challenge for young supporters.
"Write an excuse for school and let them watch football," the German boss declared after Wednesday's victory.
"There's so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch."
Thomas Tuchel told parents to let their kids skip school on Monday
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Tuchel emphasised that the Three Lions require backing from all quarters, particularly the youngest generation of fans.
The Skills Minister swiftly dismissed Tuchel's proposal, however, maintaining that education must remain the priority.
"I don't want to be a killjoy here, but I'll tell you what the biggest killjoy is - young people who then don't have the learning to be able to go on and do what they need to do in life," Baroness Jacqui Smith told LBC.
The Labour minister acknowledged the excitement surrounding the fixture and confirmed she intends to tune in herself.
She revealed her own strategy for managing the late-night viewing: "I'll be having a little disco nap in the afternoon and I'll be celebrating our victory the next morning when I go into work, looking obviously as fresh as a daisy."
The head of the National Education Union offered a more accommodating perspective on the matter.
Harry Kane's double saw England overcome DR Congo 2-1
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Daniel Kebede proposed that the Education Secretary should permit schools to adopt a later start time on Monday morning.
"It would be very good I think if the Secretary of State recognised that it's an important event in our calendar and allow a flexible start on that Monday morning," Mr Kebede told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.
The union leader stressed that such occasions hold genuine significance in the national calendar and suggested that enabling as many young people as possible to participate would be beneficial.
England secured their place in the knockout rounds following a tense 2-1 triumph over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday evening.
The Three Lions found themselves in perilous territory after falling behind in the seventh minute to Brian Cipenga, a striker plying his trade in Spain's second tier.
Captain Harry Kane rescued his side with a crucial brace, sparing England from what would have been a deeply embarrassing early departure from the tournament.
The reward is a formidable assignment against co-hosts Mexico, who boast a remarkable home record at the Azteca, having suffered just two competitive defeats there in over half a century.