Thousands of England fans reach Dallas for World Cup opener against Croatia
Around 10,000 England supporters have descended on Dallas ahead of their nation’s World Cup opening match against Croatia on Wednesday.
The travelling contingent includes family members of the squad, who have secured 1,000 tickets for each of the group stage fixtures.
Official figures show the England Supporters Travel Club sold over 3,300 tickets, with a further 7,600 die-hard followers purchasing seats directly through Fifa.
A strong expatriate community is expected to further bolster numbers inside the Dallas stadium, which is operating with a reduced capacity of 70,649 for the tournament.
Players relish tournament atmosphere
Barcelona forward Anthony Gordon is preparing for his first major international tournament and cannot hide his anticipation.
“I can’t wait for that,” he told the FA’s Lions’ Den podcast. “We have had nine or 10 days in Miami and there is that real expectation.”
The 25-year-old added that his focus is now on cherishing the experience and creating special memories for the travelling fans.
Arsenal midfielder and national team vice-captain Declan Rice echoed those sentiments, highlighting the unique build-up to an opening fixture.
“The first game is the most exciting because you have been waiting for a long time. You will look back at some point and think, ‘Wow, I was at that tournament’.”
Extreme lengths of loyal followers
The dedication of the fanbase is perhaps best embodied by Robert Didd, who has attended every single home fixture over the past four decades.
Didd estimates he has spent half a million pounds following the national side across 76 different countries.
“It is like being an explorer travelling the world you see on TV or read about in a book,” he said.
Fellow supporter Garford, a 64-year-old civil servant from London, is attending his 10th World Cup at a personal cost of around £12,000.
Following the Croatia match, he plans to embark on a gruelling 40-hour coach journey from Texas to Massachusetts.
“It will be a real experience and give me time to think and see parts of America that I would never have seen otherwise.”
