Here at The18 we've been discussing strategies for staying awake to provide you with the best coverage of the Women's World Cup. The latest plan is to collectively move to Washington DC, where bars and restaurants will now be open 24 hours a day during the month-long tournament after emergency legislation was passed in the District.
The 2023 Women's World Cup Emergency Amendment Act of 2023 is a clutch bill since many important matches have kick-offs scheduled between 3 a.m. ET and 8 a.m. The USWNT begins the group stage with viewer-friendly matches against Vietnam and the Netherlands (both 9 p.m.), but the finale against Portugal on Aug. 1 is a 3 a.m. start time. If the Americans reach the semis, it's a likely 4 a.m. kick-off while the final is at 6 a.m.
Other marquee group stage games also fall during the witching hour, including the opening salvo between New Zealand and Norway at 3 a.m. on FOX. And if you're an English expat living in DC, then you can head to the bar on Friday night and stay until Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. to watch the Lionesses begin their campaign against Melchie Dumornay's Haiti.
"This event takes place every four years and is a Super Bowl-type sporting event for soccer fans," said Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who proposed the bill. "Local soccer fans are expected to watch the 2023 Women's World Cup tournament regardless of the hour."
The bill was unanimously approved by a 13-person council.
According to USA TODAY, no other cities have adopted similar measures for the World Cup so we're moving to DC.
