A 21-year-old England supporter, Jacob Allmendinger, spent roughly £10,000 (about $13,300) — his entire life savings, accumulated over five years for a house deposit — to take his 80-year-old grandfather, Geoff Golliker, to follow England at the FIFA World Cup. After their story went viral online, a US-based crypto casino unexpectedly reimbursed the full amount, turning a costly sacrifice into a windfall and highlighting how social media attention can prompt spontaneous corporate generosity.

The pair travelled to New York, Atlanta and Mexico City to watch England play Panama, DR Congo and Mexico, including a 3-2 win over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. As their journey gained attention, the online crypto casino Metawin pledged on social media to repay Allmendinger if England beat DR Congo; following England's 2-1 victory, the firm honoured the promise. Allmendinger said he was in shock, plans to keep the money in savings for now, and is weighing options including buying a house or attending future tournaments. He said spending the savings had been an easy choice, knowing such a trip with his grandfather would not come again.