Is football going home? That remains to be seen. But if the World Cup could be won via viral moments alone, the English side would be hoisting that trophy atop a red double-decker bus cruising through a packed Trafalgar Square.
By any sporting metric, England is the underdog going into the World Cup semifinal match against Argentina. Despite being the country where soccer (sorry, football) was born, it’s only won this thing once, way back in 1966. By contrast, its opponent is a three-time champ, as recently as 2022.
Anyone would quake in front of legend Lionel Messi playing his final matches on soccer’s biggest stage, chasing one more Golden Boot before he hangs his cleats up for good. Sobering stuff: He managed to break multiple World Cup records — all-time scoring and oldest player to score a hat-trick among them — while walking 47 per cent of the distance he’s covered. (Though conspiracists might argue he’s benefited from some curiously overlooked possible penalties.)
But when it comes to winning the battle for virality, the Brits have outplayed the Argentinians — and almost every other team, bar Norway and its soft-power superweapon Erling Haaland. And that’s without wheeling out the big guns, aka Prince William and Prince George going full soccer hooligan in the stands while wearing suits and ties.
From anthems to celebrity fans to a certain attacking midfielder whose name works beautifully in a Beatles song, here’s what makes England pop culture champs at the 2026 World Cup.
When it comes to England soccer, there are only two names that absolutely everyone will recognize: Sir David Beckham, football great, and Victoria Beckham, the ur-WAG and the greatest to ever wear giant sunglasses while watching a match with undisguised boredom.
Victoria continued this storied tradition at the Norway game, drawing headlines for being the only person in the England stands who didn’t leap up in celebration when the team scored its winning goal.
David, who punched the air with joy in the moment, later joked that his famously impassive wife was “celebrating inside.”
‘Hey Jude’ x Jude Bellingham is viral gold
It’s cultural alchemy: Take a beloved Beatles tune that’s already a crowd anthem, and multiply it by the star power of a wildly talented player whose charisma and green flag behaviour have endeared him to people who consume World Cup content solely through TikToks.
You get video clips of thousands of fans singing the sweet song to the goal-crushing 23-year-old in tribute as he listens with tears in his eyes, taking in the magnitude of the moment. It’s viral gold.
Even if his name didn’t fit so handily with “Hey Jude,” Bellingham would have become a superstar for his on-field skills and off-field behaviour. There’s his wholesome friendship with Haaland, another viral soccer star, and his kindness in stopping to speak with a reporter in a wheelchair from Venezuela, when everyone else rushed past, to share a message about the devastating earthquakes.
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane went viral for a different reason: Confirming he went golfing with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida 18 months ago, calling it a “surreal experience” and saying he felt “grateful” to be invited.
Fans’ embrace of ‘Wonderwall’ made even Noel Gallagher emotional
Taking full advantage of their britpop back catalogue, England fans have taken up “Wonderwall” as their unofficial crowd anthem this tournament.
It started when the song broke out during celebration of their victory over Croatia in Dallas, a moment that went viral then and has been repeated after every one of their wins.
Since the start of the World Cup, the 1995 hit has re-entered the singles charts, and even famous curmudgeon/Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher has been moved by it all.
“‘Wonderwall’ belongs to the people,” he told The Sun.
England’s bench is stacked with A-list fans
Whether it’s pure-hearted patriotism, bandwagon-jumping or savvy PR, England’s fan base includes an enviably starry crew.
Mick Jagger watched the Norway game in Miami from a box, while Dua Lipa and Callum Turner sipped champagne in the stands; she later posted her face-painted St. George flag on her cheek to Instagram.
Banjo-plucker Marcus Mumford and rapper Stormzy were at the England vs. Ghana match, while Robbie Williams was on hand for the kickoff versus Croatia.
Prince William has sent his best wishes via social media and went on Travis Kelce’s podcast seemingly for the sole purpose of bigging up the English side.
England has even managed to recruit some American celebrities to the side. White Lotus actor Alexandra Daddario has been to two matches, while Venus Williams was on hand for one.
