Only one in five England fans are backing the Three Lions to win the World Cup, according to betting data that exposes a striking lack of patriotic punting among the home support.
Figures from Entain, the owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, reveal that Portugal’s supporters are the most loyal, with 57% of domestic bets placed on their own team. France follows at 29%, Austria at 25% and Germany at 24%.
“Only 20% of England fans back the Three Lions to win World Cup, far behind Portugal’s 57%”
England trails far behind at just 20%, while Scottish bettors are even more pessimistic: only 9% of stakes placed in Scotland are backing the team, which is priced at 300/1 to lift the trophy.
The data, covering bets placed up to and including 3 June, shows that Spanish punters are less patriotic than the English, with 16% backing their home nation. Yet Spain is the most-backed team overall across Entain’s global markets, followed by France, with England and Portugal tied for third.
Cross-border loyalty is limited: 8% of Scots have put money on England to win, while just 1% of English bettors are backing Scotland.
Tom Ritzema, group trading director at Entain, said the stakes show that “football loyalty and betting logic don’t always go hand in hand”.
“England fans are passionate, but years of near misses have made them think beyond their own country,” he said. “Portugal clearly stands out as the most patriotic market, with fans firmly backing their team, while countries like France and Germany also show strong belief.
“What’s striking, though, is in the global picture Spain remains the most popular choice across our markets, showing that when it comes to this World Cup, neutrals and patriots alike are looking beyond national borders for their winner.”