From concert square to smithdown: How Liverpool students react to England World Cup matches

Eventually, the moment came, and the 2026 World Cup officially kicked off for England. So far, it’s been an absolute fever dream.

If you haven’t yet been crammed into McCooley’s, losing your mind or getting covered in £2.50 pints in Concert Square, you’ve seriously missed out.

From absolute scenes in the Brookie to the flatmates who didn’t even know a tournament was happening, here are the absolute best reactions from around Liverpool.

We documented the reaction to England’s opening match against Croatia, which certainly set the precedent for many more exciting games.

The moment Kane scored the penalty (on the second attempt)

Because of course there had to be drama first. The first penalty was retaken for encroachment, causing a collective heart attack across every student living room in Smithdown. Twitter exploded before the actual, proper goal was even kicked.

When Croatia equalised twice

While most of us were happily nursing a cheap drink, Croatia decided to ruin the vibe by scoring twice in the first half. They made it 2-1 right after Kane’s opener and dragged it back to 2-2 right on the stroke of half-time.

Absolute chaos ensued in the group chats. It felt incredibly ironic considering Croatia had been warned pre-tournament that they lacked a striker. Yet, here we stood at half-time, 2-2 against a team without a proper number nine.

The tension in McCooley’s was so thick you could cut it with a free shot card.

Bellingham. Second half. Immediately

A few minutes into the second half, England put together what people are already calling one of the most dominant stretches of the tournament. Bellingham netted the third right after the whistle, sending Liverpool into a frenzy.

Naturally, fans instantly broke into a massive rendition of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” Honestly, this hits different when you’re singing it in the actual birthplace of the Fab Four.

Rashford sealing it in the 85th

It’s great to see Rashford back in the England squad after the last few seasons, and his 85th-minute sealer left the nation in tears of pure relief.

Unsurprisingly, the reactions were immediate, spanning from beer-soaked pub chaos to people who definitely weren’t even watching.

The ‘it’s coming home’ brigade

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They were sleeping. Waiting. As soon as the final whistle blew, they swooped in. From everywhere on the internet.

It wasn’t just the usual suspects up in arms, either. For many long-term watchers, this is the most intense England has ever looked. In the middle of a Texas summer, too. We’ll take it. In the end, the best reactions can only happen when the stakes feel this high.

The thing is, no one even cares that we said this in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2024. It’s coming home. It’s always coming home.

The people who absolutely weren’t watching

You know the ones. The people posting the final scoreline on their Instagram story at 11pm despite not watching a single minute of the game.

Some of them didn’t even make it to The Brookie.

I confess that my flatmate had no idea there was even a World Cup on until she saw the score on someone’s story and immediately reposted it saying: “We love to see it!!!!”

The Tuchel appreciation post

Following the match, Thomas Tuchel revealed he was impressed with the team’s response after half-time, when he exhorted them to “act courageous and just be us.”

Though of course, there were those who thought Gareth Southgate was still captain… guys you’re embarrassing everyone in The Flute.

From Dallas to Concert Square: How fans celebrated 

The madness wasn’t restricted to UK sofas. England fans out in Dallas were taking the party to a whole new level. Reports emerged that police arrived at a British pub out there at 10pm to break up “mayhem” where fans had reportedly racked up a £30,000 beer tab and caused some minor property damage.

In typically polite UK fashion, however, the fans stayed behind to offer to tidy up afterwards. A classic cycle of chaos and self-inflicted damage, followed by a polite cleanup. You love to see it.

Back home, it was just as wild. Some 12.4 million Britons visited pubs and bars across the land to view the match. Predictably, an estimated two million employees called in sick the following day with “football flu.” Let’s be honest, half of them were probably UoL and LJMU students skipping their morning lectures, leaving campus completely deserted.

Fan zones, beer gardens, and big screens were packed, and whether you were on a fancy rooftop or crammed into the Lime Street Spoons, the madness was exactly the same.

Our verdict

Is it coming home? We’ll say nothing. We’ve learned our lesson. But also… yes. Yes. It is coming home.