There is a semi-final to look forward to, a genuine chance of ending what feels like an eternity of near-misses, and yet a sizeable chunk of the island on which England play their home games will not be celebrating if Gareth Southgate's side — or whoever is in the dugout at this point — lifts the trophy. Welcome, once again, to the oldest, most lovably awkward rivalry in world football.

Scotland qualified for this World Cup in the United States for the first time since 1998, and the Tartan Army made the most of every minute of it. From the bars of Boston to the heat of Miami, they were, by all accounts, wonderful ambassadors for the sport. But they're home now, watching on television, and the question doing the rounds in Glasgow pubs and Dundee living rooms is a pointed one: do you back England, or do you back anyone else?

A Poll That Tells Its Own Story

A YouGov survey conducted before the tournament got underway found that roughly 31 per cent of Scots wanted England to do badly at this World Cup. Just 3 per cent of English respondents said the same of Scotland — a gap that probably surprises nobody. Yet the numbers are not all one-way traffic. Around one in ten Scots said they would actually support England in international tournaments, which, as it happens, correlates neatly with the proportion of people living in Scotland who were born south of the border — just over half a million, according to the 2022 census.

Family ties, cross-border friendships, and the sheer gravitational pull of the Premier League era have softened attitudes for some. Robbie McSkimming, a 30-year-old from Dunfermline who has backed Scotland against England at Hampden, told BBC Scotland News that he has long cheered England on once the serious knockout rounds arrive. The reason is straightforward enough: growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s meant there was precious little for Scottish supporters to shout about domestically on the international stage, so watching the England players he knew from Match of the Day felt natural. He describes the 'anyone but England' outlook as a bit of fun rather than anything nastier, but he has never personally subscribed to it.

The Big Brother Problem

Not everyone is so relaxed. Hamish Husband, a Tartan Army organiser who was partly raised in England and follows Carlisle United, says he simply cannot bring himself to watch England matches — not because of any ill feeling towards the players or the supporters, but because of what surrounds an England run in a major tournament. The media coverage is his sticking point. Scottish viewers watching England games are served English commentary, English punditry, English framing — 'our country', 'our nation' — and that, Husband argues, has a cumulative, grating effect that the Dutch watching German football, for instance, simply would not experience.

He uses the analogy of a big brother: you might not actively wish him harm, but there is a very human instinct that means you do not necessarily want him carrying the trophy home either. Husband is quick to stress there is no excuse for anything beyond gentle ribbing, and he calls the sight of Scots pulling on Argentina shirts — which, it should be noted, were freely available in Glasgow sports shops this week while England shirts were nowhere to be seen — a touch churlish, even if it has become something of a tradition stretching back to 1998.

An Old Rivalry, A Modern Dilemma

The England–Scotland fixture dates to 1872, the first international match ever played. Both nations have long argued over who truly invented the game. By 1966, England were champions of the world; Scotland have never survived a group stage at a World Cup. That disparity in fortunes shapes attitudes whether people admit it or not.

With England now two matches from a second world title, Scottish fans face the same calculation they have navigated for decades. Some will quietly will the Three Lions home. Others will be rooting very firmly for Argentina. Most, if the polling is anything to go by, will land somewhere in the complicated middle — which, when you think about it, is probably where the best football stories always live.

Frequently asked

Do most Scottish football fans support England at major tournaments?
No. A YouGov poll conducted before this World Cup found around 31% of Scots wanted England to do badly, while only about one in ten said they would actively support them. Family ties and English-born residents in Scotland account for much of that minority support.
Why is Scotland vs England called the oldest international football rivalry?
The first ever international football match took place between Scotland and England in 1872, making it the longest-running fixture in the sport's history. Both nations also claim a role in inventing the modern game.
Why do some Scots wear Argentina shirts when England are playing?
It's a longstanding tradition rooted in the intense England–Argentina rivalry. During the 1998 World Cup, an Ayrshire factory even manufactured Argentina's famous blue and white shirts, and the habit of donning them during England knockout games has persisted among some Scottish fans ever since.