‘Never in doubt!’ England fans fill Kent pubs to celebrate World Cup 2026 quarter-final victory over Norway

England fans in Kent pubs were singing "It's coming home" in the early hours after England's quarter-final win over Norway.

Pubs across the county had been filling up since early Saturday evening.

Venues like the Nailbox in Cheriton, Folkestone, The Beauty of Bath in Sittingbourne and The Knockabout in Dover were packed with fans ready to watch the Three Lions secure their place in the semi-finals.

Despite the 10pm kick-off dragging deep into the night following a tense period of extra time, supporters remained in exceptionally high spirits.

Speaking after the final whistle in Dover, fan Luca Wickham admitted the extended match was a nerve-wracking watch.

“It wasn't pretty, but if you can't win pretty, win ugly, so we take it always,” he said.

“It dragged on, but after we scored that second goal I had no doubt. After the Mexico game, I had no doubt in that defence to dig in and grind it out.”

The sentiment was echoed by supporter Tom, watching at The Beauty of Bath, who saidthat the team "made hard work of it".

"The second half wasn't as good as I wanted it to be," he said, before praising the team's star midfielder.

"But Jude [Bellingham], what a man. We're going to go to New York, confident. We'll beat Argentina or Switzerland."

Another ecstatic fan outside the pub added: "Unbelievable game, unbelievable match. Jude Bellingham, best player of all time. Up the England!"

The result even managed to win over neutral spectators. Arnold Bieda, a Dutch fan who found himself watching the game in Dover after missing a train to Calais, admitted he was initially backing the opposition.

"I wanted Norway to win," he said. "But I don't mind anyway. I'm glad England won at the end, because they played better."

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