The Scotland national football team may not be involved in this World Cup semi-final, but the old rivalry with England has still found a way to shape the conversation. For some supporters, backing the Three Lions against Argentina is a step too far. For others, it is simply impossible to root for England at all.
That tension says plenty about how deeply the Scotland-England football relationship still runs. Since 1872, the fixture has carried a weight that goes beyond the pitch, and it is not hard to see why a major England match would reopen old loyalties and old frustrations.
Why some Scots cannot back England
Hamish Husband, a Tartan Army organiser, said he does not watch England games and feels too guilty about wanting them to lose. His reaction captures the emotional bind for some Scottish fans who would rather stay out of the argument than be forced into choosing a side.
“I feel too guilty about wanting them to lose,” he said. “How could we live with it?”
For Husband, the issue is not only rivalry but identity. “England is our big brother, and sometimes you don't want your big brother to do well, do you?” he said. That line gets to the heart of it: this is not a neutral football decision, but one shaped by history, pride and habit.
The pressure of watching England
Husband also pointed to the wider media atmosphere around England games. He said the reaction to an English World Cup victory is part of what troubles him, and he compared the experience to other rivalries in international football.
“The Dutch don't watch German national games with German commentators, but we watch England games with English commentators talking about 'our nation', 'our country',” he said.
That discomfort helps explain why some Scots are reluctant to get behind England, even when the alternative is Argentina. It is not simply about one match. It is about the long memory of a rivalry that remains powerful, even when Scotland are not the team on the field.
A rivalry that still shapes the mood
The background matters too. Scotland's men's team last qualified for a World Cup in 1998 before doing so again this year, and their brief return to the party in the United States only underlined how rare those moments remain. England, by contrast, are back in a World Cup semi-final this week, which inevitably pulls the old dynamic into focus.
That contrast leaves some Scottish supporters torn between indifference, mischief and outright resistance. In the end, the debate is less about Argentina than it is about what England's success still represents in Scotland.
And that is why, even when Scotland are not playing, the rivalry still finds a way to dominate the conversation.
