Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 15

Scottish Fans Split Over Backing England Against Argentina in 1 World Cup Semi-Final

Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 15

Scottish Fans Split Over Backing England Against Argentina in 1 World Cup Semi-Final

Q: Is the 'anyone but England' sentiment a harmless rivalry or a symptom of a deeper cultural divide?

It is both: mostly a harmless football rivalry in practice, but one that clearly draws energy from a deeper cultural divide. On the surface, “anyone but England” is classic sporting tribalism. Scotland and England have the oldest international football rivalry, dating to 1872, and fans often frame the sentiment as banter. The Tartan Army’s identity is built as much on humour and spectacle as on results, and some Scots do back England, especially those with family ties across the border or who simply enjoy watching strong players and big tournament runs. But the evidence shows it is not just ordinary rivalry. The feeling is strikingly one-sided: a YouGov poll found 31% of Scots wanted England to do badly, compared with only 3% of English respondents saying the same about Scotland. That asymmetry points to something broader than match-day teasing. The deeper drivers are familiar. England’s greater football success, Scotland’s repeated early exits, and the “big brother” dynamic all matter. So does media culture: many Scots object to England-focused coverage from UK broadcasters using phrases like “our nation” and “our country,” which can feel exclusionary north of the border. Scotland’s separate football identity within FIFA also reinforces that this is about nationhood as well as sport. So the sentiment is usually harmless, but it is also a useful barometer of how sport carries older questions of identity, status and cultural recognition inside the UK.

Q: As the World Cup expands, can the celebrated Tartan Army ever cheer for a team that actually wins?

Yes — but mostly in a limited sense. The expanded 48-team World Cup has already made one thing easier for Scotland: getting there. Under the old 32-team format, Scotland had not qualified since 1998; in 2026 they returned and the Tartan Army finally had a World Cup win to celebrate, beating Haiti 1-0. That matters, because the question is no longer only whether Scotland can qualify, but whether its fans can back a team that wins matches at the tournament. The harder part is whether the Tartan Army can cheer for a team that wins big. Scotland still exited in the group stage, extending a long record of never reaching the knockout rounds at a men’s World Cup. The 48-team format lowers the barrier to entry, but it does not erase the quality gap with stronger sides such as Brazil and Morocco. As several smaller nations have found, qualification is more realistic than genuine contention. As for supporting someone else, the evidence suggests only a minority of Scots will ever fully embrace England. A YouGov poll found 31% of Scots wanted England to do badly, against just 3% of English fans saying the same about Scotland. That “anyone but England” instinct remains central to the rivalry, even if some Scots with family ties south of the border do back England. So the Tartan Army can cheer for winners in individual games, and expansion should give them more chances to do so. Cheering for an actual World Cup winner, especially if it is England, is far less likely.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 15

England’s run to a World Cup semi-final against Argentina has reopened a familiar divide in Scotland over whether to back their oldest football rival or cheer for anyone but England.
31% of Scots told YouGov before the tournament they wanted England to do badly, while about 10% said they would support England; just 3% of English respondents said they hoped Scotland would fail.
Family ties and shared football culture pull some Scots toward England, but others say the rivalry, media coverage and “big brother” dynamic make an English triumph hard to stomach.
That mood is visible in Scotland’s fan culture: Argentina shirts were plentiful in Glasgow shops, no England tops were seen, and past “anyone but England” gestures still shape the debate.
The argument reflects a rivalry dating to 1872 and sharpened by contrasting records—England chasing a first World Cup since 1966 while Scotland, back at the tournament for the first time since 1998, again exited in the group stage.