“England's going all the way!” a few hundred Three Lions supporters chanted at kickoff, even though the very fact that Gareth Southgate's team was playing in this third-place match against Belgium meant they weren't.

The match had been derided as a repeat friendly, as England previously lost to Belgium in Kaliningrad when both teams had already qualified for the knockout stages.

That didn't stop a cadre of rabid fans from coming to show their love for a side that had defied expectations by reaching its first World Cup semifinal in 28 years.

“To those of us who have been to all six games, it's almost churlish to leave the team at the death when we can say thank you and express our support,” said Garford Beck, 56, a civil servant from London who was wearing a bicorne hat with his England jersey.

Having attended all 10 qualifying matches leading up to the tournament, he also went to all seven of England's World Cup matches, criss-crossing more than 1,500 miles of eastern Europe.

The third-place game ended in a disappointing 0-2 loss after England failed to convert several agonising second-half opportunities, but fans refused to be deterred.