Sammie Bell, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, spent 25 days in the US cheering on the Three Lions during the World Cup 2026, but had to fly home before the knockout stages11:41, 06 Jul 2026Updated 11:42, 06 Jul 2026An England superfan splurged £6,000 on her dream World Cup trip — but missed the mammoth encounter with Mexico.‌Sammie Bell said she is "gutted" to have had to fly home before the knockout stages of the competition, in which England are now in the quarter-finals thanks to the Mexico win. Sammie spent 25 incredible days across the pond cheering on the Three Lions but her adventure came to an end last week.‌And the 30-year-old had to instead watch the 3-2 triumph at her local pub in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, more than 5,000 miles away. Speaking after the game, Sammie described the experience as hugely sobering compared to her US exploits.‌"Not going to lie, watching England from the pub just doesn't hit the same... First England game I have missed in years. Still hoping I can somehow make it back out," Sammie said.Holding out for extra timeThe knockout matches against DR Congo and Mexico mark the first games Sammie has missed in six years. The latter, which eventually kicked off at 2am, saw Jude Bellingham score twice and Harry Kane net again — but England defender Jarell Quansah was sent off.‌Buoyed by the win, Sammie, of Stevenage, is now exploring the possibility of jetting back out to the States for the quarter-final clash against Norway on Saturday. The hefty cost of her trip hasn't put Sammie off from looking at another jaunt.The superfan estimates the first journey cost a staggering £6,689 in total. Sammie said: "Every penny of this trip came from saving and working between two and three jobs over the last couple of years."Following England at a World Cup had always been a dream of mine and it was worth every penny. I tracked everything through Revolut and stayed in Air BnB's for most of the trip which helped keep costs down.‌"The only thing I regret is not booking the category three knockout tickets back in February. At the time, committing to every possible game just wasn't realistic with the overall cost of the trip."‌'I've never spent this much on a trip before'Sammie's adventure took her through six states, 10 cities and five England fixtures - two friendlies in Florida plus all the group stage clashes.She secured bargain flights to America using her Amex points, while internal flights set her back a mere £272. The devoted supporter didn't just watch the lads compete in the tournament - she also explored local attractions.During her 25-day stint stateside, Sammie visited the NASA space centre, Bush Gardens and caught the darts. Though the cost of beer left a dent in her wallet, with pints ranging from £3.75 ($5) right up to £16.50 ($22).Article continues belowFrom the £1,800 in cash she withdrew over there, Sammie came back with only £4.50 remaining. She added: "I've seen people spend more than this on World Cup tickets alone, so when you include flights, accommodation, transport, food, sightseeing and everything else. I don't think it's as bad as people might expect – although I've still never spent this much on a trip before."