England fans flock to Dallas gun range as World Cup brings cultural contrasts to Texas

England fans travelling to Dallas for the 2026 World Cup have been making an unexpected detour — to a local shooting range — with staff at the DFW Gun Range and Academy reporting a notable surge in British visitors this week.

Carlos Castaneda, a staff member at the range, said the past two days had been “nothing but British” after earlier waves of Dutch and Japanese supporters. “The last few days have been hectic,” he said. “It’s like a little conga line of multi-cultures. It feels like we’re hosting a very, very big get together.”

Matthew Connell, a 28-year-old from Preston, said the range was “packed with fellow England fans” when he visited. “It’s something we don’t get in England and it’s really good,” he said. “You can tell everyone’s just come down here to try it out.”

Connell described the trip as an eye-opening encounter with American culture, citing the scale of the vehicles on the road and the casual attitude toward firearms as the sharpest contrasts with life back home. “The way they all talk about it, it’s just so normal for them,” he said. “And you quickly realise it’s a lot different to the video games.”

Asked whether he would want similar access to guns in Britain, Connell was unequivocal: “No, I think we’re good without them.”

The spread of fans across the Dallas-Fort Worth region has also shaped how supporters are experiencing the tournament compared to previous editions. “There’s so much to do and it’s so spread out here,” Connell said. “In other tournaments people might be all together but not here.”

Castaneda declined to comment on how England fans had performed at the range, saying only: “There’s no comparison — everyone starts somewhere, there’s no judgment.”