​MIAMI — While in South Florida for the England–Norway quarterfinal knockout match on Saturday, England supporters stopped by the Marlins–Guardians game for a night of singing, free drinks, and uncertain footing about the rules of the game. Across the World Cup, visiting soccer fans have been flocking to baseball stadiums on off days to soak up American culture. Last month, thousands of Tartan Army members headed to Fenway Park for Scottish Heritage Night, with many also stopping at Yankee Stadium before roughly 8,000 Scottish supporters attended a Miami game, contributing to the Marlins’ best Monday turnout in nine years. Overall, MLB attendance is trending upward in World Cup host cities during the tournament.
The Marlins told Front Office Sports that about 600 England supporters attended the game. Some Norway fans were present, wearing jerseys or draped with flags, while a Marlins bartender picked up a second job banging a drum to fuel the infamous row chant — though the Scandinavian group was outnumbered. The Norse supporters were busy cheering the Viking row in Miami Beach. Both sets of fans brought energy to a relatively sparsely attended 3–2 Guardians win. The official attendance was listed at 15,605.
Many England fans said they had attended a few baseball games before, yet several admitted they didn’t know the rules and asked for basic clarification at the start of the game to identify which team was the Marlins. When the Guardians hit a home run in the fourth inning, the crowd cheered, only to realize a moment later that it was the wrong team, prompting the England fans to boos in a quick course correction.
A number of newer fans felt the sport lacked sustained action. “It’s boring as fuck, man!” one England supporter told a friend. Maitya from Leeds, England, who also attended a Braves game when the Three Lions played in Atlanta, offered a blunt assessment to Front Office Sports: “If I’m honest, baseball is very boring. Nothing happens.” Mid-sentence, the Marlins delivered a home run, prompting Maitya to quip, “And when something does happen, I’m looking away from it!”
England fans enjoyed a complimentary 12-ounce beer with their $20 game ticket. On Fridays, the Marlins also offer $5 beers at the outfield bar before first pitch, and many England fans took advantage of the happy-hour deal. A large group spent the game standing, drinking, and singing near the outfield bar, rarely finding their seats. “With American sports, it’s common to wander around, grab food, and not much attention is paid to what’s happening on the field,” said Ben from Leicester, England. “Whereas with football, you can’t. If you leave to get a drink, you feel like you’re missing something important.”
Another contrast is attendance rules: at English soccer matches, fans generally cannot bring alcohol to their seats, which has shaped drinking behavior during the competition. In the United States, the environment encourages more roaming, snacking, and socializing throughout the event. The dynamic created by international fans amid a typically nonchalant MLB setting added a festive, if unfamiliar, atmosphere to the Guardians’ win and to the World Cup experience in the host city.