Nigel Farage posted picture of himself enjoying a pint in a pub watching England play football – only for online sleuths to point out the picture is from two years ago.
As England’s World Cup campaign got off to a thunderous start in Dallas last night with the Three Lions hammering Croatia 4-2, back in Westminster, politicians were keen to make their support for the side known on social media.
Sir Keir Starmer put out a post on X congratulating England on their ‘fantastic result’, while the leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: ‘We’re all behind you’.
Meanwhile, Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage shared a post after the match had concluded showing himself inside a pub, wearing an England shirt, downing a pint of ale while declaring: ‘Proper job England’.
However, critics online were quick to reveal that Farage’s patriotic X post was actually a picture from his visit to a pub in Blackpool to watch England play Denmark during the 2024 Euros.
In fact, Farage had shared the exact same picture two years ago when England played Slovenia in their final group stage game of the 2024 Euros.
Reform UK has since confirmed to the Daily Mail that the picture is from the previous tournament adding that Farage watched the game in Makerfield ahead of the today’s crucial by-election in the constituency.
Taking to social media, online users were quick to ridicule Farage for the post.
Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage showed his support for England with a picture of himself inside a pub wearing an England shirt downing a pint of ale. Online sleuths were quick to point out the picture was two-years-old
Martin Harmer wrote: ‘Nigel Farage is such a man of the people, that he arranged for everyone he was in the pub with to watch England play Denmark in 2024, to get back together in the same clothes to watch England play Croatia in the 2026 World Cup.
‘What a guy!’
While Steven B said it was ‘incredible’ that Farage had managed to visit the same pub with the same people next to him as he did in 2024.
Farage is just the latest politician to suffer a football faux pas while trying to show their support for the beautiful game.
In May 2024, while campaigning for the General Election, Rishi Sunak asked a group of Welshmen in Barry if they were looking forward to ‘all the football’ seemingly unaware that Wales had not qualified for the Euros that year.
Ed Davey was ridiculed online for sharing a picture of himself celebrating the Lionesses’ victory in the semi-final of the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
Fist clenched in the air and with a pint in the other hand, Sir Ed was quickly accused of staging the photo op.
One commenter said: ‘Love this picture, a real textbook example of “politician goes to pub and is normal bloke”.’
Another said: ‘There’s nothing like a spontaneous, candid shot that captures a moment… and this is nothing like a spontaneous, candid shot that captures a moment.’
Taking to social media, online user were quick to ridicule Farage for the post
David Cameron also famously mixed up which team he supported during the 2015 General Election. The former Prime Minister has always claimed to be an avid fan of Aston Villa but in a bizarre blunder he appeared to claim he was a West Ham fan.
He later said: ‘I’ve been an Aston Villa fan all my life, I literally opened my mouth and I was going off-piste about the fact that in Britain you can be a supporter of the West Indies, a supporter of Manchester United, and a supporter of Team GB.
‘I was then busking about other things you can support and was … I don’t know what happened to me, it was just one of those things.’
In a statement, Reform UK told the Daily Mail: ‘Yes, the picture is from 2024. After a full day campaigning in Makerfield ahead of the by-election, Nigel watched the game nearby and celebrated England’s first win (hopefully the first of many!).’
