London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

England arrive home after World Cup exit watched by 20.4m TV audience

England arrive home after World Cup exit watched by 20.4m TV audience

The Three Lions are home from Qatar following Saturday night’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France

England’s World Cup players arrived home from Qatar on Sunday as it was revealed an average audience of 20.4 million TV viewers watched their heartbreaking defeat to world champions France in a blockbuster quarter-final clash.

They touched down at Birmingham airport on Sunday evening after they crashed out of the tournament.

The World Cup match on ITV, which saw Harry Kane miss a late penalty in a 2-1 quarter-final exit, was the most-watched programme across all TV channels this year, the broadcaster said.

ITV said the game drew the highest average TV audience of the tournament, surpassing England’s round-of-16 match against Senegal which was watched by an average of 18.4m with 13.4m watching the whole coverage.


England manager Gareth Southgate (left) and Kieran Trippier outside the Souq Al-Wakra hotel.

An average of 20.4 million people watched the match on all viewing devices, with 15.8 million watching the whole coverage.

In comparison, England’s group match against the United States was watched on ITV by an average of 15.1m people, with 11.9m watching the whole coverage.

Having reached the semi-finals in 2018 and finished as runners-up at last year’s European Championship, England were hoping to fight Morocco in the semi-finals.

The game saw England fall behind for the first time in Qatar after Aurelien Tchouameni’s early thunderbolt, only for Kane to level from the spot and equal Wayne Rooney’s all-time record of 53 goals for the national team.

Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving the team hotel.


France’s all-time record goal scorer Olivier Giroud restored Les Bleus’ lead which proved to be the winner after Harry Kane missed a late penalty ending in a 2-1 quarter-final exit.

Manager Gareth Southgate is contracted until the next European Championship in 2024 but on Sunday evening dropped the biggest hint yet that he is considering walking away from the job.

England began their journey home on Sunday morning. Jack Grealish, Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold were among the first seen departing their Qatar base.

Southgate gave a hug to Kieran Trippier and thanked those working with the team during their 26-day stay at Souq Al Wakra before boarding the staff coach for the airport.

Jude Bellingham signed autographs for fans.


Jude Bellingham signed autographs for fans before getting onto the main players' coach. Flanked by police, the two coaches headed to Doha Airport at 12.35pm local time to catch a flight bound for Birmingham.

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham was on the staff coach having expressed pride at the team’s efforts.

“Like all England fans we feel the pain of losing a quarter-final, along with the coaches, players and support team who are hurting this morning,” he said in a statement.

“Gareth and Steve (Holland) prepared the team exceptionally well throughout the tournament. The players were committed to winning the trophy and were very well led by Harry Kane.

“But sport can have fine margins and on the day, against the current world champions, it was not to be.

“This is a very exciting young English squad and, despite the intense disappointment of last night, they should be very proud of their performances in Qatar.

“We are incredibly proud of Gareth, the players, the coaches and the support team and appreciate all the hard work they put in.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
×