England fans warned not to score any 'phone goals' during the World Cup - by doomscrolling instead of watching the action

Published: 03:03, 9 June 2026 | Updated: 03:03, 9 June 2026 The average England fan will miss 11 goals this World Cup due to scrolling on their phone, new research suggests. Phone network Talkmobile's study found a typical football fan misses four goals every season due to checking their phone during the game. Gen Zers aged 18 to 29 miss the most goals, averaging five unseen scores a season, compared to Baby Boomers aged 60 to 78 missing three. This suggests the average England fan is likely to miss 11 goals in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, assuming they watch all 104 games of the tournament - even those into the wee hours. The 2022 Qatar World Cup saw a record 172 goals but at this summer's tournament - with an expanded 48 teams and 40 additional matches - the score tally is expected to be considerably higher. England scored their second highest number of World Cup goals at 13 before being knocked out in the quarter-final - one less than the 14 scored before their semi-final finish at the Russia 2018 cup. The network/s maths suggests football fans miss an average of 29 minutes of each game - and could miss 87 minutes of England action over the course of the first three group stage games, equivalent to almost a full match. And it is suggesting supporters do the last thing people might expect - put the phone down.  England fans risk missing as many as 11 goals watching the World Cup if they are glued to their phones during the tournament A third of footie fans (33 per cent) say that they check their phones regularly during 'slow periods of play' while one in ten (21 per cent) check their screens during an injury or stoppage time. More than one in ten (16 per cent) also admit to scrolling on their phones during lengthy VAR decisions. The findings suggest more than half (56 per cent) of fans check their phones either immediately or within a few minutes to see how their fellow fans have reacted after a goal or major incident on pitch. The most checked app during a game for Brits is WhatsApp, with more than two-fifths (44 per cent) either texting, voice noting or calling. Facebook is the second-most checked app for footie fans, with two in five (39 per cent), while more than a quarter of Brits check Instagram (27 per cent) and YouTube videos (26 per cent). Others check emails, or even their banking apps. Talkmobile spokesperson Duncan Knight said: 'At Talkmobile, we believe your phone should be in your pocket not your palm - and never has it been more important. 'What better way to show your support for the Three Lions than embracing every second of their path to glory. Come on England!' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.