England superfan Andy Milne says he is selling his house to fund a trip to watch the Three Lions at the World Cup this summer.
The 62-year-old gained recognition after a photo of him wearing an England shirt while gleefully holding a replica World Cup trophy went viral during the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Milne, who lives in Thailand, became a cult figure among fans and attended BBC Sport’s Personality of the Year in 2024 as a guest.
He has been to nine World Cups in total, including eight following the men’s side and one following the women, and says he has now put his £350,000 second home in Northwich, Cheshire up for sale to fund a trip to the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico later this year.
“It is going on the market because I’m selling it to go to the World Cup,” Milne told the Mirror, external.
“The last tournament in Qatar was a present to myself, I had been saving for years. We have had a second home for 27 years so it felt like the right time to cash in.”
Milne, who attended his first World Cup in Spain in 1982, says he will be in the USA for seven weeks and has tickets for every game up to the final.
“I always try to do things cheaply if I can. I will couch surf where possible. I am lucky to have friends in Mexico, Dallas and Vancouver,” Milne added.
Ticket prices for the World Cup have been widely criticised, with Football Supporters Europe filing a formal complaint against Fifa this week over its “excessive prices”.
In December, Fifa president Gianni Infantino defended prices, saying they reflect the public’s “absolutely crazy demand” while the governing body also introduced a small number of “more affordable” $60 (£45) tickets.
For one person to attend eight matches – one in each round – at the World Cup, it will cost about £5,225 in the lowest price range, £8,580 in the middle tier and £12,350 for the most expensive tickets.
Fans have criticised the decision of some cities to charge to enter fan zones, which have traditionally been free.
According to the Athletic,, external train tickets are set to quadruple in price in host city Boston during the tournament. BBC Sport has contacted MBTA, which runs transport in Boston, for comment.
Travel on the metro at the last World Cup in Qatar was free for ticket-holders.