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Original poster

Is England’s World Cup entitlement unique, or common in other countries?

231 replies

WhenTheDustSettles · 11/06/2026 08:10

Do other countries have the same sense of entitlement to winning the World Cup as we do? All this 30, now 60, years of hurt thing, all the comments about how useless England are, that's gone on for as long as I can remember, how rubbish the managers are etc.

I've never researched it but we can't be the only country to have only won one, or zero World Cups.

Is it unique to England? Or our supporters, I doubt the team has the same sense of entitlement.

OP posts:
queenofcustard · 11/06/2026 20:23

Enko · 11/06/2026 20:16

When the song came out. What's the excuse now.

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Have you not heard songs played more than once when its appropriate?

Remember Prince's song "party like its 1999" - thats always played at new years eve parties.

You are being really weird about this stupid song! Good grief, its a stupid football song and you are acting like its a criminal act to play it or something 🙄

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 11/06/2026 20:23

WhenTheDustSettles · 11/06/2026 08:41

It's not so much the optimism but the stick they're given when they lose. Gareth Southgate got them further than anyone ever had in decades and the team was still derided along with Gareth himself.

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It is the same if not worse in other countries

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 11/06/2026 20:22

I don’t think there is any sense of entitlement, it is hope and disappointment. Most people in the country don’t actually expect us to win but you have to go into it with some optimism.

And yes other countries are also the same (that’s normal behaviour).

sittingonabeach · 11/06/2026 20:18

Enko · 11/06/2026 20:16

When the song came out. What's the excuse now.

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It’s a good football song!

Ndd1356387 · 11/06/2026 20:18

Enko · 11/06/2026 20:16

When the song came out. What's the excuse now.

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It’s a cracking tune!!! It’s not THAT deep @Enko

Enko · 11/06/2026 20:16

sittingonabeach · 11/06/2026 17:56

@Enko but the home bit refers to the fact England were playing at home when the song first came out.

When the song came out. What's the excuse now.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 11/06/2026 19:15

WhenTheDustSettles · 11/06/2026 08:34

I'm trying to understand, not belittle anyone. Most of this doesn't come from the team themselves does it? Look at the abuse they got when those penalties were missed in the Euros. As a kid I remember getting upset with a sort of Guy Fawkes thing made of David Beckham and hung from a noose being shown in the papers. And that was without social media.

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Was that when he got sent off or something, for petulantly kicking someone from the other team?

I still remember the Sun (IIRC) the next day - front page said, ‘Sorry lads, no tits on page 3 today - only….’
(and on page 3) - Beckham!’

There are times when I do love our tabloids….

LuckyHazelFox · 11/06/2026 19:08

I thought u meant when Waddles penalty went over the bar in Italia 90 @AWeeCupOfTeaAndAnIndividualFruitTrifle 😆

LuckyHazelFox · 11/06/2026 19:06

AWeeCupOfTeaAndAnIndividualFruitTrifle · 11/06/2026 18:48

Unfortunately for everybody else, Glenn Hoddle & Chris Waddle set the bar for top-class football-related songs so unreachably high, there's no point in anybody else even trying anymore.

Is there a joke in there 😆

Just poured a bicardi and ice with coke 😋

LuckyHazelFox · 11/06/2026 18:58

I enjoyed that. Very upbeat and fun

AWeeCupOfTeaAndAnIndividualFruitTrifle · 11/06/2026 18:48

Unfortunately for everybody else, Glenn Hoddle & Chris Waddle set the bar for top-class football-related songs so unreachably high, there's no point in anybody else even trying anymore.

ExpertInAbsolutelyZero · 11/06/2026 18:45

feellikeanalien · 11/06/2026 18:39

Well I bet none of you on this thread will remember that immortal
Scotland World Cup song We're On the March with Ally's Army. I now have that earworm in my head and am rather disturbed to find that I actually remember the words.

I did thing think the song was Three Lines on a Shirt when it first came out. My excuse for that is being Scottish.🤣

I remember that Scottish song 😃

TheKittenswithMittens · 11/06/2026 18:42

Northern Ireland had a song with Dana, "Yer Man" - When Yer Man gets the ball .......

inmyera · 11/06/2026 18:41

it's funny because in one breath we say it's coming home and in the next we're all going on about how rubbish they are! if their fans don't believe in them what chance have they got 😅

Tigerbalmshark · 11/06/2026 18:41

Starseeking · 11/06/2026 18:38

Speaking of Shakira, she looks amazing; she’s done about 6 world cups and still looks about 30!

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I’m not sure it’s even legal to host the World Cup without a Shakira song 🤣

feellikeanalien · 11/06/2026 18:39

Well I bet none of you on this thread will remember that immortal
Scotland World Cup song We're On the March with Ally's Army. I now have that earworm in my head and am rather disturbed to find that I actually remember the words.

I did thing think the song was Three Lines on a Shirt when it first came out. My excuse for that is being Scottish.🤣

Starseeking · 11/06/2026 18:38

Tigerbalmshark · 11/06/2026 18:25

Yes, but the “coming home” part in 1996 when the song was written was about the tournament (Euros) “coming home” to the country that invented football. It didn’t mean that the trophy belongs in England. And definitely didn’t mean we are the rightful winners of the World Cup! It wasn’t even a World Cup year…

Anyway, the rightful anthem of the World Cup will always be Shakira (any Shakira song)

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Speaking of Shakira, she looks amazing; she’s done about 6 world cups and still looks about 30!

senua · 11/06/2026 18:35

Tigerbalmshark · 11/06/2026 18:25

Yes, but the “coming home” part in 1996 when the song was written was about the tournament (Euros) “coming home” to the country that invented football. It didn’t mean that the trophy belongs in England. And definitely didn’t mean we are the rightful winners of the World Cup! It wasn’t even a World Cup year…

Anyway, the rightful anthem of the World Cup will always be Shakira (any Shakira song)

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It was a mash-up of two different competitions (Euros and World Cup) that probably only makes sense to football fans.Grin

Original poster
WhenTheDustSettles · 11/06/2026 18:28

Didimum · 11/06/2026 14:55

I'm replying to OP, not to you. The OP only mentioned the song in passing as part of a longer post.

Yes, I do think England fans, when looking at the culture as a whole, tend to have a sense of entitlement to winning international tournaments. You don't have to 'get it' – it's subjective.

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Thank you, the entire thread was not meant to be about the song, the song is only part of it.

OP posts:
Tigerbalmshark · 11/06/2026 18:25

senua · 11/06/2026 18:06

No, it's because England wrote the rules of the game. We invented it but aren't very good at it.

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Yes, but the “coming home” part in 1996 when the song was written was about the tournament (Euros) “coming home” to the country that invented football. It didn’t mean that the trophy belongs in England. And definitely didn’t mean we are the rightful winners of the World Cup! It wasn’t even a World Cup year…

Anyway, the rightful anthem of the World Cup will always be Shakira (any Shakira song)

Tigerbalmshark · 11/06/2026 18:16

Starseeking · 11/06/2026 08:37

As an aside, I can’t believe that song is 30 years old, I remember it like it was yesterday (I was 16 at the time). It’s still a banger!

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I was just thinking “Three Lions surely can’t be 30 years old” Thank god “Vindaloo” has died a death.

The “football’s coming home” part was the whole tournament (Euro 96 was held in England) not specifically the trophy. Obviously doesn’t make a lot of sense for the World Cup.

senua · 11/06/2026 18:06

sittingonabeach · 11/06/2026 17:56

@Enko but the home bit refers to the fact England were playing at home when the song first came out.

No, it's because England wrote the rules of the game. We invented it but aren't very good at it.

LumenLights · 11/06/2026 18:06

I really don’t agree with this “English arrogance” sentiment that seems to pop up when compared to other European countries. And I’m not just talking about football.

I have a Dutch colleague who is the most arrogant individual I have ever met, to the point where the office is a genuinely unpleasant place to be. They can’t take any feedback or criticism, considers any approach different to how their own to be wrong, constantly belittles or criticises anything and everything to do with the UK whilst waxing lyrical about the wonderful Netherlands.

But it’s the English who are arrogant because they sing a novelty song about wanting to win the World Cup.

senua · 11/06/2026 18:03

Do other countries have the same sense of entitlement to winning the World Cup as we do?
It's not so much entitlement as the weird idea that the World Cup should be awarded on Buggin's Turn.
"Please, Sir. It's been 60 years, isn't it time we won?"