With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, British football fans have no shortage of opinions about what each nation will bring to the tournament. But which host country do they trust most with their safety? Which do they expect to deliver the best atmosphere? And whose fans do they think will be the most insufferable?

To find out, we surveyed 1,397 fans who will be following the World Cup 2026, asking them to rate all three host nations across six key categories: safety, atmosphere, hospitality towards international visitors, fan behaviour, supporter passion, and stadium quality. The results reveal a clear and consistent set of perceptions - and in some cases, the differences between age groups and genders are just as revealing as the headline figures.

SAFETY.

Canada Wins Hands Down

Canada is the clear winner in British eyes when it comes to safety, chosen by 55% of respondents. The USA came in at 16% and Mexico at just 4%, with 14% believing all three nations would be equally safe. The age split is striking: only 36% of 18–34 year olds chose Canada, compared to 68% of those aged 65+, suggesting younger Brits have a more uncertain view of each nation's relative safety.

ATMOSPHERE.

Mexico Sets the Tone

Nearly a third of respondents (31%) expect Mexico to deliver the best crowds and atmosphere, ahead of the USA (22%) and Canada (17%). The gender divide is notable - men backed Mexico far more strongly (39%) than women (20%), with women more evenly spread across all three nations. Older Brits were also more decisive, with 40% of over-55s choosing Mexico compared to around 24% of 18-24 year olds, who rated the USA's sporting culture more highly than any other age group.

WELCOMING TO INTERNATIONAL FANS.

Canada Again

Canada leads again on warmth towards visiting supporters, chosen by 46% overall versus 14% for the USA and 11% for Mexico. The pattern follows the safety question closely, with older respondents more likely to credit Canada and younger adults more willing to consider the USA welcoming.

MOST OBNOXIOUS LOCAL FANS.

Americans Take the Crown

This is where the USA's reputation takes a hit. Nearly half of all respondents (45%) said American fans would be the most obnoxious, with Mexico second on 17% and Canada barely registering at 6%. The verdict was harshest among older Brits - 56% of 55-64 year olds chose the USA - compared to 32% of 25-34 year olds, who were notably more forgiving. Welsh respondents were the most critical of all, with 68% pointing the finger at American fans.

MOST PASSIONATE SUPPORTERS.

Mexico, and It's Not Close

Forty-three percent named Mexico as home to the most passionate supporters, with the USA on 14% and Canada on 10%. The gender gap is the most pronounced in the entire survey: 54% of men chose Mexico versus just 29% of women, with women far more likely to be unsure or say all three nations would be equally passionate. Older respondents were also significantly more convinced, with around 52-56% of over-45s picking Mexico compared to 29% of 18-24 year olds.

BEST STADIUMS.

USA's One Clear Win

On infrastructure, the USA comes into its own. Forty-five percent said it would have the best stadiums, well ahead of Canada (13%) and Mexico (7%). Men were considerably more confident in this verdict (52%) than women (35%), likely reflecting greater familiarity with America's roster of large modern sports venues. It is worth noting that nearly one in five respondents (19%) said they were unsure - the highest "not sure" rate of any question - hinting that many Brits are simply less familiar with the specifics of each nation's World Cup venues.

OVERALL PICTURE.

Taken together, the survey paints a fairly settled picture of how British fans view the three co-hosts - and each nation has a clearly defined role in the public imagination.

Canada emerges as the safe pair of hands: the nation Brits feel most comfortable visiting, most likely to welcome them warmly, and least likely to cause any trouble. It is a reputation built on familiarity and trust rather than excitement, and the data suggests older Brits hold this view most firmly of all.

Mexico, by contrast, is the tournament's beating heart. British fans - particularly older men - see it as the home of real football passion and the place most likely to deliver that intangible World Cup atmosphere. The fact that it scores poorly on safety and welcomeness does little to dent its emotional appeal.

The USA is the most complicated picture of the three. It wins convincingly on stadiums, and there is no doubt that British fans respect the scale and quality of American sports infrastructure. But that is where the goodwill largely ends - nearly half of all respondents think American fans will be the most obnoxious of the tournament, a verdict that cuts across regions and age groups. The one consistent exception is younger Brits, who are noticeably more open-minded about the USA across almost every measure, suggesting that perceptions may shift as a new generation of football fans forms its own views.

A generational divide.

The survey's most significant finding may be the generational divide that runs through almost every question. Older respondents express markedly stronger and more defined views - favouring Canada for safety and hospitality, Mexico for supporter culture, and characterising American fans as the least appealing of the three. Younger adults, by contrast, show considerably more ambiguity, distributing their responses more evenly and opting for uncertainty at higher rates. Whether this reflects differing levels of international experience, greater exposure to American sport and culture among younger generations, or simply less firmly held opinions, it points to a shifting set of perceptions that the tournament itself may yet influence.

About the Article

This article is based on a survey carried out in May 2026 of 1,397 UK adults who responded saying they will be following the World Cup.

The survey was conducted on our proprietary research panel - the TLF Panel - a carefully maintained, regularly refreshed community of engaged UK consumers, available for quantitative surveys, segmentation studies, brand tracking, and bespoke insight projects.

Our panel enables PR and marketing agencies to:

• Generate exclusive, ownable data for media campaigns and thought leadership

• Conduct rapid-turnaround surveys to capture the public mood on breaking topics

• Segment findings by age, gender, region, household income, and more

• Commission bespoke studies tailored to client briefs and campaign themes

• Access data that journalists want - surprising, human, and statistically robust