Every even numbered summer feels like Groundhog Day in England. Irrespective of whether you are a football fan or not, it is impossible to escape World Cup or Euros fever. Every single person in the country knows that for one month every other year, football is the most important thing, above all else.
Pubs, shops and houses alike are bedecked in Saint George's Crosses, a symbol that has been hijacked in recent times by narcissistic right-wing nationalists, but one that ordinary people are determined to reclaim as their own. Around tournaments, everything becomes England themed. Millions congregate in bars, at watch parties, or simply at a friends' houses. In this modern world of streaming, endless content and fragmented media, it is truly a unique phenomenon to know that everyone is watching the same thing at the same time.
Despite all this excitement, England tournaments always end in disappointment. The Three Lions' only major men's tournament triumph came on home soil 60 years ago. During the subsequent six decades, nine other European nations have picked up at least one piece of silverware, including Denmark and Greece, as well as the now dismembered Czechoslovakia. This summer, though, feels like it might just turn out differently.
A generation raised on heartbreak is learning to believe
For the majority of my lifetime, and that of most fans, England has been absolute garbage. The first major tournament I remember is Euro 2008, and they didn't even qualify for that one. Steve McClaren's side was beaten at Wembley by Croatia in a do-or-die qualification decider, leading to the coach being famously labeled "the Wally with the Brolly." I realize now, writing that down, that non-British people are not going to have a clue what that means but, put it this way, it isn't complimentary.
Even when England did get to tournaments, the team rarely made its mark. When I was in high school, Roy Hodgson's side was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup with a game still to play and no one really batted an eyelid. We then hit rock bottom two years later with a shocking Euro 2016 defeat to Iceland.
Few could have imagined the turnaround that followed. After Gareth Southgate unexpectedly inherited the job, England reached its first World Cup semifinal in 28 years in 2018 and, as the country emerged from lockdown, its first major final in 55 years at Euro 2020. Wembley became a symbol of normal life returning, only for the tournament to end in the most England way imaginable: another heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat, this time to Italy.
Something Americans struggle to get their heads around is how ingrained pessimism is in British people. In the States, you're taught that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. In the UK, everyone's general disposition is thinking, what is the worst thing that could happen here? If you ask someone "How are you?," the generally stock response isn't "good" or "great," it's "not too bad."
This is perfectly reflected by England as a team. Just when you start to believe, it all falls apart in unimaginable fashion. Red cards, disallowed goals, penalty shootout failure and the Hand of God. You name it, we've experienced it. So now, having a national team that could genuinely win the World Cup, with outsiders backing it to do so, it may seem like the dream scenario. But for many of us, it is a deeply disconcerting situation that we're still trying to get our heads around.
A team that unites the nation
For a decade and more, politicians in Britain have simply sought to divide us in any way they can. North vs. south, middle-class vs. working class, ones' occupation, race, gender, beliefs or ethnicity, it feels as though every policy aims to appease one group of people, while marginalizing another. If we are fighting among ourselves, we are unable to unite against those in power dividing us in the first place.
This spiked ten years ago when 17 million people voted to leave the European Union, while 16 million voted to remain. But how does this relate to football?
During World Cups and Euros, we set aside our difference and, for just a few weeks, come together to unite behind 11 players on a field thousands of miles away. Even my sister, who has no interest in football whatsoever, is now all-in on the prospect of England winning the World Cup — there's also a guarantee of a national holiday if they do, and she certainly won't be alone.
And then there's Thomas Tuchel. I'll always remember where I was the day Tuchel was unveiled as England manager: Thorpe Park, an amusement park on the outskirts of London. This is to say, I spent a lot of the day digesting the reaction to the news that a German would lead the England national team for the first time.
Suffice to say, those in the media, and in general, prone to hyperbole described it as a disgrace, saying such outlandish things as, "If England wins the World Cup, I won't even celebrate." Personally, I don't care where the head coach if from. As Tuchel said himself, "Sorry I have a German passport".
He has had to fight against hostile back drop, and for anything that has gone wrong, sections of the British press are all over it, desperate for him to fail. Not calling up Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and others was seen as an affront to English identity.
Tuchel though is a man with a plan. For decades, England managers have simply attempted to shoehorn the 11 most-talented, most-famous players into a team with no success. When Tuchel took the opposite approach, he was criticized too. There's a reason they call it the impossible job. He's now two wins away from the ultimate vindication, and the knowledge that the dinosaurs out there will be annoyed about this makes it all the more delicious.
Now comes the biggest test yet
Unlike any other edition I can remember, World Cup fever really had not gripped the British public as much as usual. The kick off times have been a major barrier, with a high percentage of matches, especially in the group stages, taking place in the middle of the night. The expanded format means there are just too many games for most to follow them all, while the group stages felt jeopardy-free.
The knockout phase though really woke up the public, literally and figuratively. Together, we all endured the drama that was the win over DR Congo, while the victory over Mexico at the Azteca was an all-time England moment. Because kick off was at 2 a.m. over here, an hour later than scheduled due to the whether, pubs were allowed to remain open until 5am, and it really separated the weed from the chaff. Those hardcore supporters experienced an amazing win over el Tri, and experiencing such a huge game in the middle of night was truly surreal.
Eighteen million people were watching on Saturday night as the Three Lions ousted Norway in Miami, and that number will rise again for Wednesday's clash with historic foes Argentina in the semi-finals. As the tournament has gone on, the zeitgeist around this team has changed from indifference to hope to optimism to genuine belief, all in the space of three weeks.
Few phrases in soccer are more misunderstood than “It’s Coming Home.” Many outside England hear it as an arrogant prediction that the Three Lions will win the World Cup, a perception amplified during Euro 2020 when Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini countered with “It’s coming to Rome.” But for England fans, the song carries far more emotional weight: It is about decades of disappointment, the stubborn persistence of hope and the shared belief that, one day, the waiting might finally end.
We're ready to hit fever pitch if this team reaches a first World Cup final in 60 years. And hey, 250 years from American independence, England might just rule the world again.
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