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19:48, 13 Jul 2026

Footballs coming home and its all thanks to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to data experts. A stunning statistic has emerged after a viral X exchange tried to pin Englands World Cup heroics on the man in No10.

It kicked off straight after the Three Lions nerve-shredding 2 -1 quarter final win over Norway on Saturday night. Soon after the final whistle, the PM joined in the celebrations with some perfectly aimed football banter.

Posting on X on Sunday (July 12), he wrote: Norway 1 2 Jude Bellingham. @JonasGahrStore, your boys took one hell of a beating.

[England's midfielder #10 Jude Bellingham ]

England's midfielder #10 Jude Bellingham (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The line was not just a throwaway dig. It was a deliberate callback to one of footballs most legendary rants, delivered by Norwegian commentator Bjrge Lillelien in 1981 after Norway beat England 2 - 1.

In that famous clip, Lillelien name checked a string of British icons before roaring: Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? Your boys took one hell of a beating!

By firing the exact phrase back at Norways Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre, Starmer flipped the historic insult into a neat bit of revenge banter.

And now OptaJoe, the data obsessed football account known for ultra specific numbers and a punchy one word sign off, has piled in by revealing England's staggering win ratio since Starmer has been in office.

[Harry Kane #9]

Harry Kane #9(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)

It wrote: 76% England have won 76% of matches since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister (22/29). Thats the best win ratio England have had under any serving Prime Minister in history. Statesman.

This of course includes friendlies and qualifying games as well as tournament matches. And the figure left fans divided over whether the PM really is a lucky omen or not.

One person commented: "The fixture list doing heavy lifting there." Someone else penned: "Starmer inheriting Englands best prime-ministerial win rate might be Optas finest abuse of statistics yet."

A third wrote: "Starmer's 76% win ratio is the most pointless but brilliant stat in football rn."

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Football's coming home and it's all thanks to Keir Starmer - here's why

Number crunchers have revealed the Three Lions' staggering win ratio since Sir Keir Starmer took office in No 10 - as England prepare to take on Argentina in a World Cup semi-final

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