Megan Pickford, wife of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, described an arduous 24-hour journey home from the World Cup, which included a cancelled flight and an overnight stay in a freezing airport terminal with her three young children. The ordeal began after England's semi-final defeat.
Pickford shared her experience on TikTok, detailing how her initial flight was forced to turn back to the runway after sitting for six hours because staff had exceeded their working time limits. Following this, she and her children, Arlo, seven, Ostara Haze, three, and Misty Celine, 15 months, had to rebook their flight and subsequently spent the night sleeping in the airport. Pickford noted having to purchase a hoodie from a gift shop to cope with the cold air conditioning.
After reclaiming their luggage, the family checked in for a second flight, enduring another six-hour wait in the terminal. Upon boarding, they faced an additional two-hour delay due to a missing aircraft part, with Pickford expressing concern that this flight might also be cancelled. She later updated her followers that the flight had eventually departed.
During her World Cup trip, Pickford had already experienced issues with lost luggage, revealing that her suitcase had been delayed for a week. She was eventually reunited with her belongings shortly before England's match against Ghana, posting a video of herself embracing the suitcase, humorously labeling the situation "suitcasegate."
Following the departure of her flight, Pickford and her family were met by a driver for the final leg of their journey from London to Manchester. Her husband, Jordan Pickford, had already returned to England with the team after they secured third place in the World Cup with a 6-4 victory over France.