Opinion Columns

Betfair

All football opinions are born equal. But while most of them are uttered in the stands, pubs and group chats, only the ones made by big-name pundits get their very own columns in national newspapers.

That’s why Betfair, the online bookmaker that’s all about backing opinions, decided to give regular fans a proper platform to voice their thoughts throughout the 2026 World Cup – turning its advertising spaces in the Daily Mail into real opinion columns.

Opened and closed by two manifesto-style full-page ads, the weekly articles tracked England’s performance during the tournament, responding with everything from praise, to ecstasy to utter disappointment – all written by the country’s least renowned pundits: the fans.