London has been named the most World Cup-mad city in the UK, followed by Liverpool.
A poll of 2,000 adults revealed the locations most gripped by this summer’s tournament, with 80 per cent of Londoners watching or planning to watch the game, compared to 78 per cent of Scousers.
Both places are well above the national average of 68 per cent.
And 21 per cent said they’ll be hosting or attending watch parties throughout the tournament.
Meanwhile, 36 per cent of those living in London said they would cry if their country got knocked out, more than in any other city.
On the other end of the scale, those in Bristol were the least interested, with only 58 per cent planning to watch the competition.
The research was commissioned by Free Bets which has built a World Cup Fandom Index showing the areas of the UK most engrossed by the tournament.
Dominic Celica from the company said: “Football fever doesn’t hit the same everywhere, and in some cities, it completely takes over.
“It’s not a surprise to see London high up on the list given the rich football heritage in the city.
“The tournament generally brings people together, but it’s clear people still want to watch it alone to take in the action and make their own decisions in peace.”
It also emerged 38 per cent said their ideal place to watch the football was at home with the family, whereas 20 per cent like to take in the action alone.
Whereas 16 per cent claimed there is no place like the pub.
While 25 per cent have rearranged plans to try to watch the game, with 30 per cent cancelling gym sessions.
Meanwhile, exactly one in 10 would rather watch the World Cup than hook up with someone.
Almost one in five (18 per cent) have considered pulling a sickie or skipping work to watch the tournament and 13 per cent have taken leave.
The World Cup survey, carried out via OnePoll.com, found 32 per cent would rather see their country win silverware than their club, although 22 per cent said they are club before country.
And 18 per cent admitted they have cried because their country won or lost at a major tournament, with people from the capital most impacted (31 per cent).
If they were to go all the way, 15 per cent said they would be ‘absolutely ecstatic’, but surprisingly one in 50 (two per cent) said they don’t want their country to win it.
Dominic Celica, added: “The World Cup is one of the most captivating events on the sporting calendar, and when your team goes further in the tournament, it’s no surprise to see how willing people are to cancel plans.
“The kick-off times are presenting clear difficulties for those at work, with many resorting to booking time off or even pulling sickies - although it wouldn’t be too believable if you were pulling a sickie the morning after a late game.”
