I love that moment when your mate Dave, who’s never kicked a ball in his life, firmly declares that “Mason Mount has to start.” You roll your eyes, but secretly, you’re all doing the same thing.
It’s a beautiful, silly, very British tradition. We all become tactical geniuses from the sofa, arguing over left-backs like we’re managing Real Madrid.
World Cup 2026: Pick your England starting XI vs France in Qatar
And you should absolutely care because this is your one chance to be a part of the action without breaking a sweat. Your opinion on whether Harry Maguire is too slow matters, trust me.
The Heartbreak of the “Nearly Man”
Imagine you are invited to a massive barbecue, but you’re told you can only bring one of your two best friends. That’s the gut-wrenching choice Southgate has to make.
Someone like James Maddison or Tammy Abraham will probably miss out. They’ll get a polite phone call and then spend the summer watching from their living room in their slippers.
It’s a human story, not just a football one. We’ve all been the one left out of the group chat, and we’ve all been the one who had to make the awful decision.
