Fan at 1966 World Cup win follows England to US

ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleStephen BrownandDanielle Malgwi,South EastA football supporter who attended the 1966 World Cup final has travelled to the US in the hope of seeing England win this year's tournament.

Dave Thompson, from Canterbury in Kent, has seen the Three Lions play roughly 150 matches over the last 60 years.

Thompson, who was five years old when he saw England defeat West Germany at Wembley Stadium in 1966, said he believed England could win it again in 2026.

But having attended matches consistently since 2010, Thompson said that this tournament would be his last due to rising costs.

"It's not for fans anymore. This tournament has proved it," Thompson told BBC Radio Kent.

"The ticket prices have put a lot of people off. They're avoiding the friendlies as well, so there's not been a great deal of atmosphere."

In December, Fifa introduced a small number of "more affordable" $60 (£45) tickets for all 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup following criticism of its pricing structure for the tournament.

Since then, the sport governing body's practices are being investigated by the attorney generals of New York and New Jersey for "artificially inflating prices" and "misleading fans".

Thompson said that his trip, including travel and tickets, had cost him about £20,000.

"I've been going to the tournaments since 2010, so I didn't want to stop," he said.

He added that he did not want to "tempt fate" by not attending this year.

Thompson said that he will only be attending England matches due to the cost, adding that he has tickets for the sides group stage matches so far.

"It's not worth going to watch another team when you've got to pay five or six hundred dollars to watch a team that you're not really following," he said.

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