England supporters brace for World Cup heartbreak with low expectations | Football | Sport
More than eight in ten England supporters are bracing themselves for World Cup heartbreak.
The majority believe the Three Lions have little hope of matching their Euros run two years ago, when they reached the final only to lose to Spain.
Some 30% expect the team to bow out at the quarter-final stage, while just 27% think they will make it to the final. Overall, a mere 16% are confident they can go all the way and lift the trophy.
For 36% of England fans, nothing short of victory would be deemed a success, yet one in twenty would be satisfied simply with progressing beyond the group stages.
France is the top choice among England fans to take home the trophy, followed by Spain and then Brazil.
England fans believe the two most recent European Championships in 2020 and 2024 were the Three Lions’ best opportunities to land a major title, with the strength of other teams (38%) and player form (29%) the biggest concerns this summer.
Brian O’Keeffe, spokesperson for BOYLE Sports, which commissioned the research of 1,965 football fans from England, Scotland and Ireland, said: “Fans’ loyalty runs deep, but this World Cup we’re seeing just how much that loyalty is being tested by a more practical view of the tournament.
“Most supporters will always want their country to go all the way, but when it comes to making a prediction or placing a bet many appear to be thinking with their heads rather than their hearts.”
A quarter of supporters admit they would get behind an opposing team if they believed their own side stood a strong chance of losing. Yet only 37% of those would own up to it in front of their friends.
Should England be eliminated from the World Cup, the study, conducted through OnePoll, revealed that the largest proportion (16%) of fans would switch their allegiance to home rivals Scotland.
Similarly, 21% of Scotland supporters claimed they would back the Three Lions if their own side was knocked out first.
When it comes to choosing which back up team to support, 26% of England fans would simply opt for the one with the players they like the most, while 21% would go for the underdog with a good story.
Brian O’Keeffe added: “For England fans, years of near misses seem to have created a more realistic mood this time around, with plenty questioning whether this squad has enough to go one step further.
“That tension between hope and expectation is what makes major tournaments so compelling – fans want to believe, but they also know how quickly the picture can change.”
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