Three Lions fans become World Cup stars with lion costumes

A family of three England fans has become an unexpected highlight of the 2026 World Cup, dressing as lions in homage to the iconic three lions badge that has adorned the national team's jerseys for over 150 years. Glenn, Eve and Howard Hawkins, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, were spotted on global television coverage celebrating England's goals against Croatia and Ghana.

From Euro 2024 to World Cup fame

The Hawkins family first adopted the lion costumes during the 2024 European Championships in Germany. Howard Hawkins explained the reasoning behind the outfits: "There's three of us, so it made sense that we'd dress as the Three Lions on the England badge." The idea quickly became a family tradition.

Two years later, during England's opening group game of the 2026 World Cup against Croatia, the trio found themselves in the spotlight. As they celebrated an England goal, TV cameras focused on them, broadcasting their lion costumes to a global audience. Howard recalled: "It blew up."

Global recognition and local pride

The family's local pub, The Dolphin in Wallingford, erupted when patrons saw the Hawkins on screen. "My phone decided to buzz off a hundred times, with people saying that they had spotted three lions celebrating behind the goal," Howard said. "One was from one of my friends, who told me that the whole pub erupted when they saw me celebrating."

Inside the stadium, the reaction was equally enthusiastic. Eve Hawkins noted that fellow fans were "going nuts for it." Howard added: "You couldn't walk five or ten metres without people wanting to have a photo. We must have had 500-plus pictures with people in the stadium during the England vs Croatia game."

The family has embraced their newfound fame but remain aware of the challenges. Eve joked: "We've got to stay together, because if we walk around as just one we look incredibly weird."

The three lions badge has been a symbol of English football since 1872, and the Hawkins family has brought it to life in a way that has captured the imagination of fans worldwide.