GOAL! –
Mar. 26, 2026 – A recovering alcoholic has made his childhood dream come true by getting tickets to watch every England match in this year’s World Cup after going sober. Darren Thompson funded the tournament traveling around America, Canada and Mexico by using money he would have spent on alcohol.
The 53-year-old said he was “out of control” and ended up in hospital before turning his life around after rehab three years ago.
The England fan, who continues to get support to stay sober, hopes to inspire others suffering from alcohol addiction.
Thompson, who has also been a Leicester City supporter since the age of eight and is a season ticket holder, said he had always enjoyed drinking alcohol as an adult.
The sales manager said “alcohol took a grip of me” over the decades.
“I’ve always had a busy social life – drinking before games, travelling for work,” he said.
“It just crept up on me and I was drinking all the time in the evenings.
