Millions of football enthusiasts across the United Kingdom are expected to stay awake into the early hours of Monday morning to watch England’s World Cup encounter with Mexico. However, this late-night fixture faces a formidable challenge in surpassing the nation’s 40-year-old record for the largest post-midnight television audience, which stands at an impressive 18.5 million viewers.

The enduring record was set shortly after midnight on Monday, 29 April 1985, when an estimated 18.5 million people tuned in to BBC2 for the nail-biting conclusion of that year’s World Snooker Championship final. The enthralling contest featured defending champion Steve Davis facing off against Dennis Taylor at the renowned Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

The final session, which began at 6.45 pm and was expected to conclude by 10.10 pm, dramatically extended beyond schedule. Both competitors fought tenaciously to gain the upper hand, resulting in a tense deciding frame that wasn’t settled until Taylor sank the winning ball at approximately 12.25 am.

Although BBC2’s average audience for the entire session was 14.4 million, the peak of 18.5 million viewers recorded at the climax of the deciding frame remains unmatched. It continues to stand as the UK’s highest post-midnight television audience since comparable ratings began in 1981 and also represents BBC2’s all-time record viewership.

England’s World Cup fixture against Mexico faces several obstacles in attempting to break this remarkable record. The match is scheduled to kick off at 1 am UK time, meaning the final whistle is unlikely to blow before 3 am. If the game extends into extra time and penalties, it could continue until nearly 4 am.

Adding to the challenge, the match takes place on a weekday morning rather than over the weekend, which will likely constrain the number of viewers able to stay up. In addition, the government’s decision to allow pubs to remain open until 5 am may further reduce the number of people watching from home.

For comparison, the highest peak television audience for an England game in the current World Cup so far reached 16.3 million viewers. This figure was recorded during England’s clash with DR Congo on Wednesday, 1 July, which began at 5 pm, according to overnight ratings from BBC One and BBC iPlayer.