English national football, especially on the international stage, has been a laughing stock for ages. Their early exit in the Euro 2016 to Iceland, David Beckham's infamous red card, and their culture of failure on the largest stages cemented them as “underperformers”. By 2021, during the delayed 2020 Euros due to COVID-19, England was performing well. They remained unbeaten in the group stage and advanced to the final after impressive victories over Germany, Ukraine, and Denmark in the knockout rounds. Known for their tendency to falter in crucial moments, this was England's opportunity to change their narrative.
In the final against Italy, just two minutes in, Luke Shaw found the net, sending the nation into a frenzy. Later, Italy equalized, leading to a penalty shootout after 120 minutes of intense play. Harry Kane and Harry Maguire converted the first two penalties, giving England a 2-1 lead in the shootout. Next up was 22-year-old Marcus Rashford. Italy leveled the score, and now it was England's turn; a successful kick would give them the advantage. The atmosphere at Wembley was electric, with fans urging their team on. Unfortunately, Rashford missed. But there was still hope; the score was tied. They needed to keep their cool. Italy scored again, and 21-year-old Jadon Sancho stepped up to take his shot. The crowd's cheers turned to anxious silence as Sancho also missed. England was now trailing 3-2 in the shootout. Italian player Jorginho approached the spot, expected to score, but he too missed, reigniting hope in Wembley. Now, 19-year-old Bukayo Saka has the opportunity to etch his name in English football history. Sadly, he missed as well. The match concluded with Italy winning 3-2 on penalties.
You would think English fans would feel bad for the players and show empathy. Instead, they attacked the players who missed their pens. The fans flocked to Twitter and Instagram, threatening players behind a screen. So much so, 600 comments were reported for racist content, and 207 were judged under that. 3 people were sent to jail; however, there were many more comments than that. Disgusting behavior, and what good did it bring?
Earlier, during the 1998 World Cup Round of 16, David Beckham was sent off after kicking Argentina’s Diego Simeone late in the match. The game eventually went to penalties, and England was eliminated from the tournament. It was a rash and costly mistake—one Beckham himself would later acknowledge. “I made a stupid mistake. It changed my life,” he said, recalling the backlash that followed. “When I came back, the responses were, ‘How do you feel about letting your country down?’ and ‘You are a disgrace.’”
Wherever he went, he would get verbally and sometimes physically abused— being pelted with rocks and trash, and being spat on. His wife, Victoria, stated that it landed him behind bars and ended with him in a state of critical depression. Beckham did not eat or sleep. But why would people go that far? It is understandable to have a negative reaction, but sending a man to such a depressive state is a truly inhumane act, especially since just years prior, he was seen as England's savior.
A third, more recent example, is the treatment of Miles Lewis-Skelly. This is more tied to underlying racial biases, which bubble up during dark times. Miles Lewis-Skelly is an 18-year-old footballer who has just recently come to find his fame. He has started numerous games for Arsenal, and his performances earned him an English National team call-up. For an 18-year-old, this is an outstanding achievement. However, his early career has already been off to a controversial start.
Miles Lewis-Skelly scored a goal against Manchester City, but his celebration resulted in online and verbal abuse. His celebration was a direct imitation of Erling Haaland’s signature pose—done in response to Haaland’s earlier comment to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to “stay humble, eh.” Many football fans, particularly Arsenal supporters, praised his confidence and pride at such a young age. Others, however, viewed the moment differently, criticizing it as unnecessary or overly bold. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher stated, 'I said about half football arrogance on the pitch, and I loved it. I didn't like this because he is a young player mimicking Haaland and taking the mick. I know what Haaland said, but he is a young player, and we all get carried away as young players. It is a huge moment for him.” Miles Lewis-Skelly has often found himself criticized by the media rather than receiving the recognition he deserves. Why do football fans do this to players? It is almost as if they would rather see a player fail than succeed. Is it because they dislike the footballer? Or, is it tied to one's race?
My first interviewee, known online as “zispoms” on TikTok and “imzispoms” on Twitter and Instagram, shared his perspective on toxicity within English football culture. When asked, “Do you think there is a toxic culture in English football? If so, is it correlated with race, or another factor?” Zispoms responded:
“Yeah, there's definitely a toxic culture… they're very depressing and miserable, don’t want general people like the middle class to really flaunt anything, and it seems from their monarchal attitudes that only the top class holds joy. Race, obviously, is a factor—England is systemically racist, especially against immigrants. Because their culture was once the main empire in the world, they have a purity sentiment they want to preserve. They try to keep all their assets and power, maintain hegemony, and stay dominant. But now, as more people of color come in, they don’t like it. Those underlying feelings bubble up, like in the racist incidents involving Saka, Rashford, and Sancho after the Euros.”
In essence, Zispoms suggests that the toxic culture in English football stems from generations of racism and xenophobia rooted in Britain’s imperial past. This legacy of superiority and exclusion continues to manifest today, surfacing most visibly during moments of national disappointment—such as the racist backlash following the Euro 2020 final.
My second interviewee goes by “Amenyahfc” and “amenyah” on Instagram and TikTok. When asked the same question, he responded:
“There's definitely a toxic culture in England. For as long as we’ve known, the media control every narrative before and after games. When things are going well, they will praise, but as soon as there’s any downtime, they turn on you in an instant. The England national team is a perfect example of how toxic the media can be, and in turn, that influences the public to be equally toxic. A lot of that can be attributed to racism as well. We saw what happened after the Euro 2020 final; we saw how players like Pogba get talked about for dancing or their haircuts. Racism has been a thing since Arthur Wharton came from Ghana to become the first Black professional footballer in England back in 1885. Football is a reflection of society; they may not directly call people racist names, but you can tell from the way narratives are built that it's still an issue.”
Amenyah’s final point captures a harsh reality: English culture itself has deep-rooted racism stemming from its maritime and monarchist history. That same mindset translates into football, where subtle forms of racism shape the narratives surrounding players and teams today.
To summarize, England faces a deeply rooted, self-inflicted issue with racism—one that extends far beyond society and is mirrored in football. The supposed meritocracy of the sport, where success and respect are earned through performance, is undermined by this entrenched prejudice. This systemic bias manifests in incidents such as the mistreatment of Miles Lewis-Skelly and the racist backlash directed toward young players like Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka. Unfortunately, for many of these athletes, the only way to respond to such hostility is through their performance on the pitch, as their talent becomes both their shield and their burden.