England fans leave World Cup viewers in shock after recognising ‘random’ celebrity in Norway crowd
The World Cup coverage has been punctuated by the occasional crowd shot where the cameras stop looking at the football on the pitch everyone wants to see and instead watches someone who is watching the game.
Fans dressed in eye-catching costumes are among their favourite targets, as are attractive women, but the absolute top of the list for a camera to get a reaction from are the celebrities who sit in the expensive seats.
Or perhaps not so expensive, since one likely needs an invitation to make it in the first place.
Many of these folks who get a camera stuck in their face are quite recognisable and very often David Beckham, who we see plenty of during the adverts anyway, but during England's 2-1 win against Norway a number of English pubgoers were pleasantly surprised to spot chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and realise how many of their fellows recognised him.
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"Was proper shocked how many people in the pub recognised him," one person on the internet wrote when they spotted Carlsen in the crowd.
Then again, perhaps we're giving the wonderful, erudite, cultured bunch that are England fans nowhere near enough credit here.
People might think that chess and football fans would be separate groups, but people have varied interests and for some a well-executed checkmate is as thrilling a spectacle as watching someone boot the ball into the top bins.
Carlsen himself is no stranger to boosting his public profile as he's got a big following on social media and a fairly distinctive face.
He wasn't alone among the ranks of the famous in watching England vs Norway, as Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was another of the famous folk who sat on high in the fancy seats to watch Jude Bellingham's brilliance.
Naturally the Beckhams were there too, while his former England teammates Ashley Cole and John Terry were also in attendance to watch the current Three Lions make it further into the World Cup than they did during their careers.
International football stars like Uruguay's Luis Suarez who infamously bit opponents was spotted, as was France's Blaise Matuidi
Obviously, FIFA's controversial president Gianni Infantino was in the stands again.
To hear some people tell it he was pulling the strings to screw over Norway, but football's much-maligned bald boss tries to appear at as much of the World Cup as he can.
Norwegian royalty in the form of their Crown Prince Haakon was also watching the game, while Love Island's Maya Jama was also seen in the stands.
When the World Cup games resume tomorrow (14 July) there will no doubt be other famous faces in the stands for pub audiences to pick out.
How much does it cost to attend the World Cup?
Football fans wanting to watch the games in person better have deep pockets. Here’s what flights, accommodation, tickets and food and drink will cost England supporters:
Getting there
For those who managed to catch England’s opening game against Croatia on 17 June, a return flight from London to Dallas, Texas would have set them back around £700, according to Skyscanner.
The second and third games are a little cheaper to get to - £400 if you want to watch the Three Lions go up against Ghana in Boston on 23 June, and £500 to see them play Panama in New York on 27 June.
But now you need somewhere to stay.
Hotel costs
NBC has crunched the numbers on hotels, looking at the average for the five cheapest hotels within 15 miles of the station as of late last month.
In Atlanta for the opening match, the average hotel room is £350 for two nights, and that’s on the cheap side.
A hotel to watch the second game in the group stages in Boston will cost £725, and the third in New York will be £485.
Now to get your ticket for the game…
Ticket prices
Tickets for the opening game against Croatia went for around £430, via Seatpick.
England vs Ghana will set you back at least £330, and the match against Panama £250.
I bet all that number crunching has made you thirsty…
Food and drink prices at the World Cup
Unlike in the UK, football fans are allowed to drink in the stands in the US, Canada and Mexico - if they’re made of money, that is.
Prices at a warm-up match between England and New Zealand at the Raymond James stadium in Tampa, Florida on 6 June gave an indication of what to expect in the World Cup proper, which is bad news for fans.
A large beer was advertised at $18.75 (£13.99), while just a bottle of water was priced at $7.50 (£5.60).
Meanwhile, according to Football Ground Guide, a basic meal and a beer will set you back $23.88 (£17.83) at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where England’s first game took place.
For England’s second game at the Boston Stadium (also known as the Gillette Stadium), according to Football 2026 hot dogs went for £6.30, while burgers set punters back £10.45.
Meanwhile, a basic meal and a beer at the MetLife stadium for England’s match against Panama will cost you £24.87.
Joe Harker