An England fan who was so convinced the Three Lions would win the World Cup that he had a giant trophy tattooed on his leg is planning to add the words “only joking” underneath after another heartbreaking exit.
Sean Carrington, 36, from Wigan, spent £550 on the foot-long inking of the World Cup with “England World Cup Winner 2026” after the team beat DR Congo. He watched Wednesday night’s semi-final against Argentina at Manchester’s Depot Mayfield fanzone, where the mood was hopeful when Anthony Gordon’s neat strike gave England the lead in the 55th minute.
“England fan Sean Carrington plans to add 'only joking' to his World Cup tattoo after semi-final defeat to Argentina.”
But Argentina struck late to win, and Carrington joined millions of supporters in despair. “The atmosphere was crazy until the very end. But we sat back and gave it away,” he said. “It was depressing – it ended up so flat.”
Despite the result, Carrington insists he has “no regrets” about the tattoo and is now considering having it amended. “I’ll probably get ‘only joking’ added to it,” he said. He admitted he was pleased he had rowed back on his original plan – to have “It’s Coming Home” across his chest. The team at Holy Trinity Tattoo Studio in Standish talked him out of that idea.
Jamie Taylor, the studio manager, said: “I was dubious at first and told him it was permanent and wouldn’t wash off. He was adamant, though.” Jordan Stringfellow, who also works there, added: “Sean has a great sense of humour and won’t be bothered.”
Carrington, a roofer who said he was “too tender” to go to work on Thursday morning, was shocked at how much attention his tattoo received. He got the idea while watching the tournament on holiday in Tenerife, egged on by friends. He has eight other tattoos, mainly family names, and says he is “impulsive” but has no plans for any more ill-advised inks.
“In my heart I thought we’d do it,” he said. “I’d so love them to win it.”
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane broke his silence on the defeat, saying simply: “We go again.” The striker, who appeared “empty” after the match, indicated the squad still feels it has missing pieces to address.
