Only one in five England fans have backed the team to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, compared with 29% of France fans and 57% of Portugal fans, according to new data from Entain released today.
Despite the Three Lions being third favourite overall among bettors to win the tournament, Entain revealed that among its English users, just 20% of betslips had backed Thomas Tuchel’s side to win.
Entain’s “Patriotic Punter Index”, which measured the rates at which fans backed their national teams, also found Portuguese fans are most likely to back their nation at 57%, followed by France at 29% and Austria in third at 25%.
German outright bettors backing their nation stood at 24%, Colombians 23% and Brazilians 21%. In Spain,the figure is 16%, Belgium 11% and South Africa 8%, according to the index.
Host nations Mexico, USA and Canada backed themselves to win the tournament at 13%, 6% and 3%, respectively.
Of all wagers on the winner placed in Scotland, 9% predict the Tartan Army, who have never progressed beyond the group stage, to lift the trophy.
Globally, Entain found Spain to be the most backed team overall at 17%, followed by France at 15% and England and Portugal both on 11%. Brazil took 9%, Argentina and Germany 7%, the Netherlands 4% and USA 3%.
Entain said the figures “underline Spain’s broad appeal across both domestic and international bettors, combining neutral confidence with steady home support”.
Tom Ritzema, group trading director at Entain, said: “The patriotic punter index shows 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.
“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 the global picture that 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.”
Analyst firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) has said its base estimate for handle on the World Cup is $2.82bn (£2.1bn), nearly three times the $900m to $1bn wagered on the previous tournament in Qatar in 2022.
In April, Entain reported a 3% increase in net gaming revenue (NGR), citing better-than-expected performance in the UK and Australia as key drivers for the growth.
England kick off their campaign on 17 June against Croatia at the Dallas Stadium.
Entain’s Patriotic Punter Index data was based on bets placed up to and including 3 June.
The post Entain: Just one in five England fans bet on Three Lions to win World Cup first appeared on EGR Intel.
Entain “patriotic punter index” finds more than half of Portuguese fans backing their country, and nearly one-third of French punters
The post Entain: Just one in five England fans bet on Three Lions to win World Cup first appeared on EGR Intel.