Sean Carrington, a 36-year-old construction worker from Wigan, might just be England’s most self-assured supporter at this FIFA World Cup.

Firmly convinced that Thomas Tuchel’s squad would lift the trophy, he decided to get the World Cup image inked on his skin along with the words: “England World Cup Winner 2026.”

The surprising part? The tattoo was completed even before England had defeated Norway in the quarter-finals.

The story came to light on Wednesday through a report published by The Telegraph.

The inspiration: The idea struck Sean while he was on holiday in Tenerife, watching England’s 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the Round of 32, spurred on by his friends and the excitement of the moment.

The “Plan B”: He admits that it was a spur-of-the-moment decision but insists he can laugh about it. “I’m very impulsive, really. If we lose, I’ll just add the words ‘only joking’ right after it,” he said with a grin.

Cost and execution: The tattoo set him back £550 (around ₹3,900). When Sean went to Holy Trinity Tattoo Studio and explained his idea, the artist didn’t hesitate and immediately slotted him into the schedule.

Approval at home: Though his girlfriend often discourages him from certain tattoo ideas, this time she gave her approval. Sean already sports nine other tattoos, most of them honouring family members.

Caution at the studio and in politics

Jamie Taylor, manager of the tattoo parlour, revealed he had advised Sean to think twice: “I told him it’s permanent and doesn’t come off with water. I was hesitant at first, but he was determined and wanted to have a bit of fun with it.”

Ironically, while fans are already engraving victory onto their skin, the British government is taking a more cautious approach. Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declined to say whether he would announce a national holiday if England wins the World Cup. His reasoning in Parliament? He didn’t want to ‘jinx’ the team just hours before their crucial semi-final clash with Argentina.