Harry Kane's England team is receiving a surge of support from Generation Z ahead of their first World Cup match, a new poll reveals. Half of English adults say they are proud of the men's national team, with the figure rising to 59% among Gen Z, typically defined as those born between 1997 and 2012. Millennials follow at 52%, Gen X at 46%, and both Boomers and over-75s at 48%.
Poll Findings Ahead of England's Opener
The survey, conducted by More in Common, comes as England prepares to kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday night at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, Scotland leads as the proudest footballing nation in Britain, with 61% expressing pride in their men's national team. Wales ranks third at 47%.
Rivalry and Regional Differences
Highlighting the intense football rivalry, 28% of Scots say they would prefer England to lose if Scotland is eliminated first. Scotland faces Morocco on Friday after a 1-0 victory over Haiti in their first World Cup appearance since 1998. The tournament is hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Anna Sabine MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for culture, media and sport, noted it is "particularly heartening to see young people leading the way in pride for their national teams." She added, "Sport has an amazing ability to unite all communities and nations. We should all be immensely proud of our national teams and we are all ready to cheer them on."
Political and Public Support
In England, 73% of Labour voters take pride in the Three Lions, followed by 67% of Conservative voters, 57% of Reform UK voters, 49% of Liberal Democrats, and 30% of Greens. Among Reform supporters, 33% feel "a great deal of pride," compared to 32% for Labour, 26% for Conservatives, 21% for Lib Dems, and 14% for Greens.
Across Britain, 49% support local authorities funding or organizing public screenings of major sporting events like the World Cup, while only 22% oppose, resulting in a net score of +27. The findings are based on a sample of 2,087 people surveyed between June 5 and 9 this year.
