EURO 2024: Betting Brits short on patriotic punts as Southgate’s men struggle

• Just 20% of UK bets on EURO 2024 back the Three Lions, according to Entain.
• Portugal tops the charts as the most patriotic nation with 60% of home bets on 2016 winners.

27^th June: Just one fifth of UK fans betting on EURO 2024 are backing the Three Lions despite England securing the #1 spot in Group C, new data from Entain shows.

In an analysis of UK and European sports betting data on the tournament so far, the global sports betting and gaming group reveals that Portugal is the most patriotic nation, with 60% of Portuguese punters backing their own team, followed by Spain (49%), Germany (44%), and France (30%).

Over three quarters (76%) of patriotic punters in Portugal are betting on their Captain and international football royalty, Cristiano Ronaldo, to take the mantle as the tournament’s top goal scorer – despite not yet having scored a goal. No other country is close to this level of patriotism, as Ronaldo also comes out on top for fans in Germany (22%) and Austria (20%). However, 25% of UK fans are still backing the home team’s Captain, Harry Kane, above the likes of Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.

The most bet-on match of the tournament so far has been on England’s opener against Serbia, where the rising star of English football, Jude Bellingham, secured the only win so far for the Three Lions.

In a deeper dive of its UK sportsbook (Ladbrokes and Coral), Entain can also reveal:

• The percentage of outright bets on the England team to take home the trophy has decreased from 21% in 2021 to 13% in 2024 – further indicating that Brits have lost faith in their home team after failing to rouse fans in the Group stage.
• A more open tournament compared to EURO 2020, with 21% of outright bets on England, and 22% on Italy. Hosts Germany have attracted 14% of outright bets, with France, England, Germany and Spain on 13% each.
• The number of outright bets placed by UK customers has more than doubled (121%) for EURO 2024 compared to the same period in 2021, reflecting heightened engagement amongst football fans and greater confidence in their predictions on the final result.

Jamie MacDonald, Head of Sportsbook Analytics at Entain, said: “There is no denying that the Three Lions have had a lacklustre start to EURO 2024. That’s exactly what we’re seeing in the betting data – a huge contrast to the most patriotic nations of Portugal, Spain and Germany, where fans are backing their home teams.

“Can England turn their nation around and bring it home? It’s all to play for as England enters the Round of 16 this weekend and hopes to ignite the pitch. We love seeing our customers excited, having fun, and being entertained – that’s what this tournament is all about.”