Pubs across England were filled with fans anticipating the Three Lions' World Cup clash against Panama on Saturday evening. Thomas Tuchel's side was scheduled to kick off their final group game at 10 p.m., with a victory highly likely to secure them first place in Group L.
More than 15,000 England supporters traveled to New Jersey for the match, while millions more were expected to watch in the United Kingdom. Among those celebrating ahead of the game was Three Lions legend Paul Gascoigne, seen at BOXPark Wembley. Many fans began their celebrations early, with expectations high for an England victory against Panama, who are ranked 42nd in the world.
Some fans in the U.S. had already committed to further travel, having booked non-refundable flights to Atlanta, Georgia, for a potential last-32 tie. Sam Gisby, 28, a Cambridge United fan at the American Dream shopping center near the New Jersey Stadium, expressed confidence: "I think we'll do the business. I going to go for a 3-0 win." Liverpool fan Rob Hindhauth, 26, predicted a "4-0" scoreline, acknowledging the team's previous "0-0 draw against Ghana" as a "reality check."
Fans acknowledged the stress of planning for the knockout stages based on the assumption of England winning the group. "We're actually going on (to the next round), so it's pretty stressful because we've booked the next two weeks on the assumption that England win the group," Hindhauth stated. "So if we did come second, it would be panic stations."
Preston supporters Ryan Kennedy and Joe English, both 29, arrived hours before kick-off at the MetLife Stadium. "I think we should win comfortably – a bit of a hiccup in the second game, but that happens – it's England," Kennedy commented. English added, "A comfortable win – three or four-nil, I reckon."
Discussions about potential opponents in the next round were also present. "Yeah, I think whichever route we get it'll be difficult, won't it? But you've got to beat the best to win the competition," Kennedy said, indicating he would be checking notifications for the Ghana versus Croatia match.
Peter Harding, 74, from Whitley Bay, expressed strong confidence in the team's ability to defeat Panama, suggesting "You could get a team from Brooklyn that would beat Panama. A team from Whitley Bay would give Panama a good game."
Richie Slaughter, 35, from Hexham, echoed this optimism. "I think we've got a good chance tomorrow. Hopefully we beat them anyway – we've already booked the flights to Atlanta and a non-refundable one, so praying they'll get the win tomorrow."
Others were more cautious about immediate travel plans. Bradley Littlechild, 30, from Edinburgh, mentioned booking refundable hotels for potential next-round locations but had not yet booked flights. "As soon as the game finishes, we need to book flights or a bus or something, because I think the flights have gone up," he noted, adding that the cost of travel was a significant factor. "It's something like 350 dollars so it's just going to sting us."
Supporters also noted the expense of transportation to the game. Slaughter mentioned the train to the ground was "about 90 dollars or something like that." Tom Wilson, 32, from Buckinghamshire, agreed the cost was high but saw the train as the "best option given some of the videos I've seen on the internet of traffic etc."
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