I go to every England game - one thing about World Cup in USA is hard to ignore

I go to every England game - one thing about World Cup in USA is hard to ignore Ian Odgers, 58, has spent around £90,000 following his team and has already reached a verdict on the World Cup co-hosts An England fan who has not missed a single home qualifier or friendly in 17 years - and has not skipped an away qualifier or friendly in 12 years - has shared an honest verdict on World Cup 2026. Ian Odgers, who has inked his body with passport stamps from away matches, has flown off to the United States after an injury nearly derailed his World Cup ambitions. And he's already noticed one thing. The 58 year old, a passionate traveller, had carefully mapped out a detailed itinerary to follow England's journey through next month's World Cup finals. Yet he found himself in a race against the clock to reach the States for England's friendlies and the tournament's kick-off. Now that he is there, he has a clear verdict on the World Cup being in USA, along with Mexico and Canada. The dedicated superfan from Dereham in Norfolk ruptured his calf while playing badminton in the run-up to the finals. Yet he was able to attend both of England's pre-tournament fixtures against New Zealand on 6 June and Costa Rica on 10 June in South Florida. During his initial visit to the States, he spent a considerable amount of time in New Orleans, where he got chatting with a number of Americans. To his surprise, they weren't particularly bothered about the World Cup, with the NHL Stanley Cup final and NBA finals capturing the attention of most of the host nation. He said: "The USA haven't bought into it. It's such a big place with so much going on - you were never going to get everyone behind it. "The ones I met are more fussed about hockey and basketball. I'm sure it'll grow as the tournament progresses, especially if the USA gets far. But they are obsessed with hockey and basketball. I'm already sick of them calling it soccer - not sure I can handle six weeks of it. "Qatar definitely felt more like a World Cup, it was a lot more full." After flying back from the States, Ian will head back to the USA for England's second group stage match, their last 16 clash and then both the semi-final and final, should England get there. And he remained confident they would. He said: "I feel like I always do – it's definitely coming home." His devotion to England was sparked when he attended his very first match aged 12, before making it his life's mission to follow the team. He estimated he had travelled to around 30 countries as a supporter, spending in the region of £90,000. He began recording his football adventures with a series of tattoos around seven years ago. He said he keeps going because it is the best hobby in the world. "I question myself so many times why I do it but ultimately it's a passion, a belief, a pride that drives us," he said. "The Qatar World Cup was the furthest I've travelled to see England. It was a 9,000-mile round trip. And during the Russia World Cup one train journey was 7.5 hours each way." He also revealed there had been some remarkable coincidences along the way. He said: "I went to the England versus Panama game in Russia. "And, bizarrely, the man who sat directly behind me I had gone to school with. And waiting for a bus to the first England game in Qatar I noticed a fan with a Norwich flag. I told him I was from Dereham, in Norfolk, and it turned out he was too." His fondest memories centred on wins against old rivals Germany, including a 2-3 triumph in Berlin 2016 and a 2-0 home victory in 2021. Another standout moment came when England knocked out Colombia 4-3 on penalties during the 2018 World Cup.