Punters are getting behind their national teams across various nations during this year’s World Cup, but with one big outlier – England.
Patriotic betting is a regular feature of World Cup trading, as shown by data released by the likes of Entain ahead of successive World Cups and European Championships and by trading on exchanges like Betfair throughout major tournaments.
In the UK, it seems like patriotism has found itself coming up against a mix of cynicism and perhaps, one could argue, cold hard logic in the two of the country’s two nations participating in this year’s World Cup.
Entain’s Patriotic Punter Index for the 2026 World Cup data shows that just 20% of UK punters are backing England to finally ‘bring it home’ while just 9% of bets placed on 300/1 shot Scotland expect the Tartan Army to take the trophy back to Alba.
The old rivals don’t have much faith in each other either, though not many people will be surprised by this. Just 1% of English punters are backing Scotland, while only 8% of Scots have put money on England.
Another surprising standout is Spain. Just 16% of domestic bets in Spain, likely placed via Entain’s bwin brand, are backing La Roja to lift the trophy – despite the country coming off the back of a dominant and victorious display during the 2024 Euros.
“The Patriotic Punter Index shows that football loyalty and betting logic don’t always go hand in hand,” said Tom Ritzema, Group Trading Director at Entain. “England fans are passionate, but years of near misses have made them think beyond their own country.”
As owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, two of the UK’s biggest high street betting brands and formidable names in the online betting market also, Entain’s index may provide a broad glimpse of the general feeling among UK punters ahead of this year’s World Cup.
Some of the data has been backed up SBC News’ own findings, such as the early responses to our World Cup Betting Tour series.
While expressing hope for his home side, Paul Petrie, Director of Scotland-focused bookmaker McBookie, reflected that ”not even the most optimistic member of the Tartan Army is expecting us to lift the World Cup”.
“France are the most popular selection so far and we are sure to see money on England if they progress through the rounds,” he said.
The rest of world has faith…
The lack of patriotism – or perhaps presence of realism – in England and Scotland has not been replicated in other countries, according to Entain’s Index.
Portugal is the most patriotic market with 57% of outright slips placed, followed by 2022 runners up and two-time champions France at 29%, Austria at 25%, four-time champions Germany at 24%, Columbia at 23% and 21% for five-time champions Brazil.
Internationally, while Spanish punters might not fancy their teams’ chances in the final, the world thinks very differently – at least on Entain’s betting platforms. Spain accounts for 17% of all outright bets on Entain’s bookmakers, followed by France at 15%, England and Portugal at 11%, and Brazil at 9%.
The number of punters backing France shouldn’t be a huge shock. The Les Blues have established themselves as a dominant team in international football with their 2018 final win and 2022 runners-up status, and bettors consistently see the French as solid contenders.
“Portugal clearly stands out as the most patriotic market, with fans firmly backing their team, while countries like France and Germany also show strong belief,” Ritzema added.
“What’s striking, though, is the global picture Spain remains the most popular choice across our markets, showing that when it comes to this World Cup, neutrals and patriots alike are looking beyond national borders for their winner.”
Argentina have captured just 7% of betslips despite their 2022 champion status, perhaps an indication that punters feel the team’s best days may be behind them as Lionel Messi heads towards his retirement years. Germany is also on 7%.
And finally, the Netherlands took 4% and the US, one of the three host nations, took just 3%.