England's football run has fans completely rethinking their trips to the USA

It’s official – England are through to the semi-finals, and it’s got everyone believing.

When the final whistle blew on Kane & Co’s game last weekend, there was plenty of celebrating in the stands. That said, there was probably a fair bit of panic, too.

Because while the rest of us at home were busy wondering who England might face next, thousands of fans already in the USA were suddenly looking at their return flights, annual leave and hotel bookings thinking: "Well...that's all going to have to change."

For many, what started as a week-long football trip has quickly turned into "just one more game", which will then hopefully turn into another if England thrash Argentina to reach the final.

Thankfully O2 has recognised exactly what many fans are going through, and has responded with its 'Roam 'til it comes home' initiative, crediting back US roaming charges incurred from 6 July until 20 July for O2 Pay Monthly Classic Plan customers. At least that’s one less thing to worry about.

Because let's be honest, once England are this close, absolutely nobody is going home just yet.

So, exactly how are fans adapting?

They are extending trips

Every England fan who travelled to the USA probably had a solid plan. Book the flights. Watch a few matches. Soak up the atmosphere. Come home.

Simple.

Except football rarely sticks to the script, and therefore neither do England fans. Every win makes extending the trip feel just a little bit more justifiable, even if it means another night in a hotel and another email explaining why you won't quite be back in the office yet.

Of course this means regularly changing their flights home

With every victory comes another round of checking airline apps, comparing fares and convincing yourself that staying until the next match is definitely the sensible thing to do. After all, nobody wants to be the person who flew home 48 hours before England reached the final. Surely that should be covered by insurance?

And booking extra nights at hotels

Of course, staying for another match means finding somewhere to sleep too, with what was meant to be a short stay suddenly turning into a hunt for extra hotel nights, spare rooms and anything within reasonable distance of the next fan park or stadium. At this point, “just one more night” is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

They are working remotely

One thing the pandemic did leave us with was the realisation that plenty of jobs can be done from pretty much anywhere. A video call looks much the same from a hotel room in Atlanta as it does from your spare bedroom back home, and answering emails from a café before heading to an England fan park is absolutely professional behaviour.

The only catch is the time difference. An early morning meeting in the UK can quickly become a middle-of-the-night alarm in the US, but if it means squeezing in one more England game, we'd say that's a sacrifice plenty of fans are willing to make.

They are keeping everyone back home updated

If you've travelled thousands of miles to follow England, chances are your phone has been working almost as hard as you have. One minute you're sending photos to the family WhatsApp group, the next you're FaceTiming your mates during hydration break, all while trying to reassure your partner that yes, you really are planning to come home...when football does.

It's exactly the sort of situation O2's 'Roam 'til it comes home' initiative was designed for, helping O2 Pay Monthly Classic Plan customers stay connected while making the most of the tournament.

It’s safe to say that every fan has reached the same conclusion...

If England are staying, so are we.

Whether our boys go all the way or not, big up to O2 for clearly recognise ing what so many travelling fans are experiencing. Through its 'Roam 'til it comes home' initiative, it's crediting back US roaming charges incurred from 6 July until 20 July for O2 Pay Monthly Classic Plan customers, helping supporters stay connected while making the most of what has already become an unforgettable tournament.

Now all that's left to decide is whether "just one more match" really does mean just one. Pretty sure we all already know the answer to that.

T&Cs: Pay Monthly Classic Plans only. Excludes PAYG. To qualify, whilst physically present in the USA, purchase any O2 Travel Bolt On or Zone 1 Data Roaming Bolt On or use standard roaming rates for calls and texts in the USA, between 00:01 6 July 2026 (PT) and 00:00 20 July 2026 (PT). We'll automatically credit the cost of all eligible Bolt Ons purchased and standard roaming charges incurred during the promotional period to your O2 account before your next payment date. Fair Use Policy applies. Terms apply, see https://www.o2.co.uk/international/usa-credit-back