It turns out Irish fans might not be as anti-English as one would first think when it comes to major football tournaments.
This comes after new research found that 13% of Irish fans say they plan to support the old enemy at the upcoming World Cup this Summer. Maybe some will be singing that Football's Coming Home?
A poll of 1,500 Irish sports fans found that England was the team with the highest proportion of Irish fans backing at this summer's tournament in the USA. In second place was Brazil with 12%, Spain on 8%, while Scotland and Portugal were in joint fourth with 6%.
The data was gathered by Ticketmaster, which also said that soccer remains Ireland's most popular sport, with 71% following it here, with Gaelic Games standing at 49%, and rugby union at 43%.
However, they did point towards a changing landscape, with 19% of football fans reportedly saying they began following the sport in the past two years, with 10% of fans saying that they began following rugby more recently.
It was also reported that fans would be willing to travel on average of 5 hours and 12 minutes to attend an international fixture, while another 11% said they were prepared to travel more than 10 hours to support their team at a match.
Other findings stated that 36% of Irish fans said that premium stadium seating would enhance the experience of attending a match, while 33% said they would like in-seat food and drink ordering. It was also found that 30% say digital tickets would also improve their live experience.
Elsewhere, the data from Ticketmaster showed a shift in momentum towards women's sport, with attendance at high profile fixtures skyrocketing in recent years, with attendances increasing by 69.5% for soccer, 65.4% in rugby and 9.7% for Gaelic Games between 2025 and 2022.
Ticketmaster also found that 66% of sports fans also attend live music events, illustrating how today's audiences increasingly move across different kinds of live experiences.
Speaking about this data, Ticketmaster Ireland's Managing Director, Keith English said: “Sport plays a hugely important role in Irish life – it’s not just about what happens on the pitch, but the sense of community, identity and shared experience it creates for fans across the country. What we’re seeing in this latest research is just how deeply embedded that passion remains, with supporters willing to go the extra mile, quite literally, to be part of live moments".
It’s especially encouraging to see the continued rise of women’s sport, with more fans turning out for major fixtures than ever before – a clear sign that interest, visibility and support are all moving in the right direction".
