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

[WhenTheDustSettles]

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.

Is this a joke thread? !!!

I think many other countries are far more obsessed with it than we are!

As for the song - it's just that! No-one really believes it's "coming home" - it's just a catchy tune and hopeful lyrics.

It's the hope that kills

No this is not common in other countries! I think this behaviour is about more than football…

Given we’ve only ever won it once, I interpret what you are calling ‘entitlement’ as unfounded optimism. It’s simply the pain of being a football fan.

You have a very broad definition of entitlement.

Indeed. The original lyrics state "Thirty years of hurt never stopped me dreaming".

Those of us old enough to remember seeing the 1966 World Cup final - and then what happened in every WC thereafter - understand exactly what that's about.

It's hope not entitlement and obviously the team and the fans want to win it. What is with this unnecessary trend on MN to rubbish and belittle England and the UK continually ffs

So you don’t think the French, Spanish, Argentinians, Brazilians and Dutch think they can win it? Seriously? It would be a very sad tournament if all fans went around with their heads down thinking they are going to lose!!! It’s football OP. Relax. Lighten up. That song is a JOKE after all - it’s not to be taken so seriously. Let’s have some fun with the football now.

Optimism and positivity is not the same as entitlement. Do you even follow football OP? We have some of the best players in the world.

And having been in other countries when the WC has been on yes there is the same level of hope

Exactly. The triumph of hope over experience.

I’ve been in France and Italy when they have been playing in the World Cup and the streets are empty and the celebrations after when they won was far more exuberant than they are here

but they also don’t appear to sneer at the passion some people have for football I think much of this is down to our good old snobbery as football really is a working class game here

I grew up in Scandinavia and no that entitlement. - And I actually think thats a good word for it - is not there. There is hope and wishes and wanting the team to do great but not the "home" I find sportsmanship often lacks in the UK to me thats shown by the reputation British football fans carry abroad.

Ive always disliked the song as the idea a trophy being able to have a "home" annoys me. I recall a song done in my birth country when I was a child for a world cup where the lyric went something like "we will win and get the trophy with us home" aka they would go home with the trophy not the trophy coming home. (they didnt win but were still greeted as heros on return)

However I also fully expect to be told Im wrong and I just dont get Britishness or humour. As heavens forbid someone has a different view to the.majority. I do understand its a song. That doesn't mean I have to like it or that I think everyone thinks thst. It just means that I think its inappropriate and my view is that there is entitlement.

Edited

As a Scot, I get embarrassed by my fellow countrymen when it comes to this stuff. There’s a real chippiness amongst us about England football fans and their supposed “entitlement”.

It’s not Englands fault that we are perpetually shite at football. Frankly it’s Scotland losing the head just at being qualified to take part this year 😂

I don’t feel that way - if you want your team to win you support them.

I hope any team from the UK would go the distance. God knows we need a bit of cheering up right now.

Right now I think the US is primed to balls the whole thing up anyway…

I can say with absolute confidence and certainty that I speak for all 5.5 million of us that in Scotland we do not expect our football men to win the World Cup 😂

That said there's nothing wrong with optomism and sometimes England does stand a realistic chance of winning. Why not enjoy that?

No, why would it be?

It's a great time to support a football team without factionalism, I'm not even a football fan but I love a world cup! I remember the excitement when Scotland qualified in the 90s, and I have the same excitement now! Plus in the UK we love a plucky underdog, and if a less likely national team does well I love how we all start to get behind them. It's that kind of spirit that I love about the UK!

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.

It’s from anyone English and interested in football, so, yes, that includes the team.
Don’t sneer; join in the fun (and agony!).

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!

Like PPs have said, isn’t it just optimism? Like thinking every year that maybe Tim Henman might win Wimbledon, and then Andy Murray (I appreciate football is on a larger scale of course, and seems to involve stronger emotions, but the general sentiment of “maybe this year will be our year!”)

What do you think entitlement means?

I was in Italy during the 1998 World Cup and remember the celebrations in the street after every victory and then the men (mainly) weeping in the streets when they were knocked out.

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.

Honestly, as a non-Brit who lived in England for a long time, I think it’s another manifestation of national exceptionalism, but a completely harmless one, compared to something like Brexit. I hope you do win it this time.