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A man who got 'England 2026 World Cup winner' tattooed on his leg before the team was knocked out says he plans to get two more words added to his ink.

Sean Carrington, the Wigan roofer who went viral after permanently declaring England the 2026 World Cup champions on his skin before the tournament was over, did get something out of it, despite the loss. He was invited to Hotel Football for a complimentary stay after his bold prediction spectacularly backfired.

The 36-year-old made headlines when he spent £550 on a tattoo of the World Cup trophy above the words "England World Cup Winner 2026", inked at Holy Trinity Tattoo Studio in Standish. Sean got the tattoo after England's 2-1 win over DR Congo in the Round of 32, so convinced Thomas Tuchel's side would go all the way that he committed to the design before England had even played Norway in the quarter-finals.

That confidence unravelled when England were beaten by Argentina in the semi-final, ending hopes of lifting the trophy Sean had already immortalised in ink. Taking the disappointment in good humour, he has since joked that he'll add the words "just kidding" beneath the tattoo.

To help soften the blow, Hotel Football, Manchester's football-themed hotel, at Old Trafford co-founded by Gary Neville and his Class of '92 teammates, invited Sean and a friend to enjoy an overnight stay and watch England's final game of the tournament as VIP guests.

The two of them watched the match at Cafe Football before retiring to one of the hotel's Squad Rooms for the night.

Complete with Class of '92 memorabilia, views overlooking Old Trafford, Sky Sports on the TV and a complimentary mini-fridge stocked with retro sweets, the stay gave Sean and his mate the perfect football-themed escape after his tournament-ending tattoo heartbreak.

Sean said: “I’ll be honest, I thought I was going to look like a footballing genius when I got the tattoo done. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go to plan, but I’ve had a lot of laughs about it since. When Hotel Football invited me and my mate for a stay, it was a brilliant surprise. We had an amazing time watching the game with other England fans, enjoying the food and drinks, and making some great memories.”

Jessica Southworth, Marketing Director at Hotel Football, said: "Like the rest of the country, we were gutted to see England's World Cup dream come to an end. When we heard Sean's story, we couldn't resist inviting him to Hotel Football. His tattoo has certainly become one of the stories of the tournament, so we wanted to give him something to smile about with a memorable football stay and the chance to watch England's final match with fellow fans."