Late-Night World Cup Matches Drive German Workers to Home Office, Poll Finds
04.06.2026 - 08:05:23 | boerse-global.de
Nearly one in four employees in Germany plans to shift to home office following a German national team match during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a survey of 1,100 workers shows. Among self-identified football fans, the figure climbs to 36 percent. The tournament, running from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, forces German fans to tune in well past midnight for about two-thirds of its games.
The poll, conducted by Bilendi and Kununu, found that 59 percent of employees link their interest in the World Cup to the time the match kicks off. Spiele starting at 7 p.m. are considered compatible with a normal workday by 61 percent of respondents. That number drops to just 19 percent for midnight games. Even among football fans, only 32 percent accept the late start times.
Germany's preliminary-round schedule reflects the challenge. The team plays June 14 at 7 p.m. German time, followed by two 10 p.m. kickoffs on June 20 and June 25. According to the survey, 28 percent of all workers and nearly one in two fans plan to stay awake until after midnight for those matches.
No Right to Watch at Work
Watching games on the job is not a legal entitlement, explains employment lawyer Volker Görzel. Employees who stream live coverage without permission breach their work duties, risking a written warning or even dismissal. Television and video streaming at the workstation are strictly prohibited because they severely impair concentration.
Listening to the radio is usually acceptable, provided the employee’s output does not suffer. But a blanket ban on radio requires the works council’s approval. Employers can forbid live tickers on the internet. Anyone who follows games on company time is using private hours and must typically make up for lost work time.
Government Steps In on Noise
To ease public viewing, the German cabinet enacted the “WM2026LärmSchV”, a special noise-protection ordinance effective from May 20 to July 31. It allows local authorities to grant exemptions from evening noise limits for 18 first-round matches kicking off at 9 or 10 p.m. and for 12 matches scheduled at 3 a.m. German time. The regulation does not create a legal entitlement; decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Sleep medicine expert Professor Dr. Robert Göder of the Kiel Sleep Laboratory warns that night games cause concentration loss, reduce productivity and raise accident risks for those who stay up late.
Broadcast Options and Delays
Public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will carry 60 of the 104 matches. All games are available on MagentaTV. For those watching delayed or privately, transmission delays vary. Satellite offers the smallest lag, while cable and DVB-T2 HD are only a few seconds behind. IPTV services can lag by up to 20 seconds.
