More than a fifth of football fans wouldn’t date someone who supported a rival team.
A poll of 2,000 supporters of the 'beautiful game' found 38 per cent will always ask a potential date what club they back during the very early stages of dating.
Nearly four in 10 (36 per cent) do this to decide if it’s a dealbreaker, while 23 per cent ask because of what their friends or family might think.
But if they do survive past the dating stage with a rival supporter, 13 per cent will only watch their teams play together in a public place to avoid things turning sour.
What's more, 22 per cent have even argued about who their future children will support - despite this being something that might come much further down the line.
The research was commissioned by real life dating app, happn, which has partnered with the Prince of Peckham pub to give away free drinks to anyone on a date during half time of the first England match on 17th June.
Claire Rénier, dating expert at happn, said: "For UK singles, football isn’t just entertainment, it's a compatibility blueprint.
"Our research shows that team loyalty is a definitive dealbreaker for many, with fans looking for a true teammate rather than a romantic rival."
The study also found 27 per cent of all those polled would rather watch a football match than go on a date.
Match results (19 per cent), refereeing decisions (17 per cent) and games taking priority over social events (16 per cent) were found to be the biggest causes of arguments between couples supporting different teams.
However, despite the healthy rivalry, 42 per cent claim it’s important for the person they are dating to be interested in sport.
This obsession with ‘finding a teammate’ is reflected in happn’s own app data, which has revealed football as the second most commonly listed hobby on UK profiles.
The OnePoll.com findings also revealed women (15 per cent) are more likely to ask what team the other person supports on a first date than men (11 per cent).
Of these, six in 10 females do this to check they have similar interests, whereas 41 per cent of males do it to avoid a dealbreaker if they don’t support the same team.
Rénier added: "With the summer of sport building excitement, we want to help singles turn match-day energy into real-life connections, which is why we're so excited to partner with the Prince of Peckham to bring daters together this summer."
