The Three Lions will be taking part in their biggest World Cup game in 12 years when they face off with Colombia on Tuesday. But how will the nation watch the game?
Despite the ever-increasing price of kits, 2.6 million fans will have bought the new England shirt. 15% of people watching around the country will choose to don a retro shirt, with kits from previous tournaments often fetching over £100 on auction sites. Although Royal Mail has banned car flags on its vehicles, 2.7 million people will be flying them from their vehicles windows, and 1.4 million supporters will be wearing the cross of St George as face-paint during the match.
A total of 4.4 million people will also have a flutter in a social sweepstake (statistically 137,500 will have drawn England, while the same number will have been unlucky enough to land Panama).
The game in numbers: 90 minutes around England
When it comes to watching the England game, 34 per cent of people will be viewing at home and 21% will be in the pub.
Harry Kane has scored the most goals per minute at the tournament so far, and the figures show that England fans have been celebrating with the talisman. During the group stages it’s estimated 15 million people enjoyed a pint, while 4.6 million were sharing their thoughts on social media and 10.8 million were shouting at their TVs.
Celebrating and commiserating: after the game
Anticipating a post-celebration hangover – or after drowning their sorrows – an estimated 1.2 million England fans plan to call in sick following the knockout game, with 1.1 million having already pulled a sickie after previous World Cup games in 2014.
A further 8 per cent freely admitted that they planned to leave work early on the day, and 4 per cent had already booked the day off after one of England’s group games in preparation.
Men are more likely to consider bunking off, with 5 per cent of all male respondents hoping their bosses would be sympathetic, compared with just 2 per cent of women.
Despite work the next day a positive 18 per cent did say they would carry on drinking wherever they watch the game, and a (romantic?) 5 per cent said that in the event of an England win they would have sex to commend the achievement.
