WHAT RIVALS THINK OF THREE LIONS’ SUCCESS

Scotland by Hamish Husband

I am OK up to the semifinal. I would say the majority of Scotland fans are OK with England up to that stage and then all bets are off. Gareth Southgate has come across well and there is absolutely nothing to dislike about them.

But it is not about that. It is the way it becomes BBC England and ITV England that is hardest to take. I would say the majority of non-footballing Scots would not mind England winning the World Cup, but the football-supporting Scots just cannot do it.

I never watch England. I have not done it since 2001 when they beat Germany 5-1 and we had just had a dull 0-0 draw with Croatia.

If England get to the final I will do the Denis Law bit from 1966, when he played golf rather than watch. It is the nightmare scenario. I just have a feeling that England will win it and – decent as they are – there is no part of me that will cheer them on.

I have got friends who are in Russia cheering England on, but I just cannot do it.

I might have to climb Ben Nevis on Sunday.

Germany by Robert Brukacz

I was surprised to see the Germans play so badly, but in the end they deserved to be eliminated because they were not hungry enough any more. I guess it would be boring if the same team won twice in a row, anyway.

I predict England will get to the final and they have a good chance to win. It is really nice to see nations that usually do not come very far, like England, in the top four.

In the past, England have always had bad luck. Their previous results have not been equal to the quality of the players, and I think it could also have been their mindset. But now, Gareth Southgate has put together a young team. They are not traumatised about England’s past losses, and they play well together. It is a new generation.

England fans know how to cheer for their team. They are familiar to the feeling of losing – and I do not mean that in a bad way – so now they are winning, they are really letting loose. I have heard England fans sing “It’s coming home”, and maybe it can come true. I wish them luck.

Australia by Dominic Knight

In sport, Australians do not view England favourably – but football was once the exception. In the long years when we set qualifier world records (31-0 against American Samoa) but never made it, we settled for the Three Lions.

Now that we qualify, England’s cyclical overconfidence followed by humiliation causes great amusement. This year, though, not only are England contenders, but your team are likeable. Gareth Southgate is such a good bloke we can even forgive the waistcoats.

So, instead, we have been laughing at your fans, who viewed smashing Panama as a guarantee Kane would lift the trophy.

“Football’s coming home” just because you knocked off Tunisia and beat Colombia on penalties? Good performance against Sweden though, I have to admit. But many of us will be backing whoever play England if you get to the final. Because if you win, every English person in Australia will be insufferable, like you were with the rugby World Cup.