Meet the man who is on a mission to attend the World Cup.

British soccer superfan Andy Milne has been making headlines around the world after reports spread claiming he sold his home to fund a trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. But according to a People report published Thursday, June 11, the real story is a bit more nuanced — though no less impressive.

“I don’t know how the papers got ahold of it,” Milne, 63, told the outlet. “That story went wild!”

The house in question is a rental property he and his partner vacated 13 years ago. It’s currently on the market — but hasn’t sold yet, per the report. Still, proceeds from the eventual sale will help fund what would be Milne’s 10th World Cup appearance, as well as a trip to Australia to visit a new grandchild.

“The home has always been a pension pot,” he told the outlet. “It’s on the market. There’s a viewing today, so fingers crossed.”

According to the article, Milne, a former middle school and high school biology teacher and youth soccer coach from Northwich, about 20 miles southwest of Manchester, took early retirement in 2022 specifically to attend the World Cup in Qatar that year. It was there that his replica FIFA gold cup — nicknamed “Sophie the Trophy” — kept getting caught by television cameras, turning him into an unlikely viral sensation.

“People in the U.K. would go, ‘Here’s that guy again, it’s him again! It’s him again!’” he recalled, per the publication. For the 2026 tournament, Milne and his friends hold guaranteed tickets through the England Supporters Travel Club for every potential England match.

“We are planning on following England all the way to the final, or at least as far as England allow us to dream,” he said, according to the outlet. “So far, we’ve got intercity travel booked by plane, train, hire car and bus.”

And through it all, Milne’s love of the game hasn’t dimmed one bit: He still laces up every Thursday night for an adult league.

“I believe I’m Pelé on the pitch and I pretend that my knees still work,” he said. “I’m not a great footballer, but I’m a very, very passionate footballer.”

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