In 1966, England hosted the World Cup. That year, football came home and stayed at home, as England won the tournament.
Since then, English football fans have been longing for another football triumph. This longing has turned “It’s coming home” into a catchphrase and shibboleth among the English fans. The phrase originated from the song “Three Lions”, written in 1996 by comedians David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and Ian Broudie with the Lightning Seeds band, to promote England’s hosting of UEFA Euro 96.
In many instances, such as the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and the 2024 final, the refrain reached a crescendo. However, with losses to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, Italy in the Euro 2020 final (played in 2021), and Spain in the Euro 2024 final, the anthem of hope became a hum with cracked voices.
To ensure England emerged as winners in the just-concluded 2026 World Cup, Thomas Tuchel was given the task of coaching the team.
With two wins and one draw, they qualified from the group stage, beating DR Congo in the Round of 32, Mexico and Norway at different stages, to set a date with Argentina in the semi-final.
