SportsCatch
EN

Over 30,000 England fans set to fill MetLife Stadium for decisive Panama World Cup clash

England face Panama at the 78,576-capacity MetLife Stadium in New York in what will be their biggest supported game of the 2026 World Cup so far. More than 30,000 fans are expected to wear white, with over 10,000 travelling from the UK for the group decider.

2 min read
Over 30,000 England fans set to fill MetLife Stadium for decisive Panama World Cup clash
Share

England will be backed by their largest crowd of supporters yet at the 2026 World Cup when they face Panama at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with victory guaranteeing a place in the knockout rounds.

The 78,576-capacity venue — the biggest to host a Three Lions fixture at this tournament — is expected to see upwards of 30,000 fans in England white, drawn from the more than 10,000 supporters who have travelled to New York from the UK as well as a large contingent of British expatriates and Premier League fans from New York State and New Jersey.

Thomas Concannon, lead for the Football Supporters’ Association fans embassy in the US, said the Panama fixture had been the most sought-after group game among England’s official members club. “People are coming to this and hoping to stay out for the final,” he said, adding that large numbers planned to remain in the US for as long as England stay in the tournament.

England completed their final training session in Kansas City — delayed by overnight heavy rain storms — before flying to New York. Captain Harry Kane indicated that head coach Gareth Southgate may rotate the squad with the knockout phase in mind. “It would not surprise me if the boss makes some changes anyway and just kept the team fresh,” Kane said.

Panama sit bottom of the group and are already eliminated, but England must negotiate the tie before turning attention to the round of 32. A win would send them to Atlanta for the last 32, where potential opponents include Ecuador, Senegal, Iraq, Algeria, Austria, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. Topping the group could also set up a meeting with hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium — the iconic venue where Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal helped knock England out at the quarter-final stage in 1986.

Among the supporters in New York ahead of the game was Britain’s Got Talent finalist Sonny Green, 31, a spoken word poet from Southend-on-Sea, who visited Times Square to soak up the pre-match atmosphere.

Share