Only one in five England fans are backing the Three Lions to win the World Cup

Just one in five bets placed in England are backing the Three Lions to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to data from Entain, the company behind Ladbrokes and Coral — a figure that places Thomas Tuchel’s side among the least patriotically backed of the major European contenders despite being considered tournament favourites.

Portugal leads the patriotic-punting table by a considerable margin, with 57 per cent of all domestic bets placed on the host nation’s own team. France follows at 29 per cent, with Austria (25 per cent) and Germany (24 per cent) also outpacing England’s 20 per cent home backing. The data covers bets placed up to and including 3 June and measures the percentage of slips and stakes placed by bettors in each country on their respective national side.

Confidence is even lower in Scotland, where just nine per cent of domestic bets are on the Scottish national team. Despite that scepticism at home, eight per cent of Scottish bettors have placed money on England to win — while only one per cent of English bettors have backed Scotland.

When Entain’s global markets are taken as a whole, Spain emerges as the most-backed team overall, ahead of France, with England and Portugal level in third. Notably, Spanish bettors themselves are among the less patriotic, with only 16 per cent of domestic wagers backing La Roja.

Tom Ritzema, group trading director at Entain, said the figures 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,” Ritzema 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.”