Is football more important than politics? England might take home the trophy on Sunday. It would be a huge win for a team short on silverware. It could even transform Britain.
What might change if England win on Sunday
Is football more important than politics? England might take home the trophy on Sunday. It would be a huge win for a team short on silverware. It could even transform Britain.
England has waited 58 years for a day like this. England has won Euro 2024. The players dance with joy. Gareth SouthgateAs a player he appeared 57 times for England. He became the team's manager in 2016, and guided it to the World Cup semi-finals two years later. weeps. All sins are forgiven.
This is the dream of millions of England fans. This Sunday it could become a reality. If England do take the trophy1 it will be their first piece of silverware since the 1966 World Cup.
The star-studded team was the favourite going into the tournament. After a sluggish and scrappy group stage though, they became the "unfavourite". Angry fans demanded Southgate's head.
Then something changed. England beat Switzerland on penalties, banishing nightmares from Euro 2020.2 In Wednesday night's semi-final, a more energised and confident team knocked the Netherlands out of the tournament.
On Sunday they face Spain, the team many believe to be best team in the tournament. Victory is far from assured. But if England do win, the tremors might be felt outside football.
Extra time. When Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, the entire country got a day off "to express their deepest joy" for their national team. With a football-mad prime minister, an England victory might have the same result.
Arise Sir Gareth. Manager Southgate has had a rocky tournament. If England win, however, he is tipped to be rewarded with a knighthood.3
Role model. The 22-year-old Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has been a star of the tournament. Saka's "quiet confidence", hard-work ethos4 and sense of humour might make him a positive global face for a Britain battered by Brexit strife.
Soft touch. England fans are notoriously critical of their team and its manager. A victory would lay such gripes to rest. And it might make people kinder - at least for a while.
Borrowed glow. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not publicly adored.5 But football can shift the climate. A feel good wave might extend to him and his government.6
Come and see. Football drives travel. In 2019, 1.5 million people visited Britain to watch a match. A victory for England and its Premier League stars could bring even more visitors to the home of the sport.
Business boost. After England's Euro 2020 success, the then chancellorThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the minister responsible for the British government's economic policy. The job is often regarded as second in power and important to that of the prime minister. Rishi Sunak expected a "bounce" in consumer confidenceMeasures how consumers feel (optimistic or pessimistic) about the state of the economy.. If England wins people might feel more free to spend more. And brand Britain might become more appealing to investors.
Hungry eyes. Big tournaments have a habit of drawing in people who are not normally football fans. On Wednesday, 20 million people watched England play the Netherlands. If England win, the mood of success might convert scepticsThose who doubt commonly accepted opinions - named after the "skeptic" philosophers of Ancient Greece. into football fanatics.
Have a go. The taste of victory could encourage more people to give the sport a try themselves. A nation could be inspired into fitness and teamwork.7
Exit ghost. England's 1966 World Cup victory still lives in folk memory. It is the albatross around the team's neck.8 Winning the Euros would give everyone a chance to move on - and create a new mythology.
Is football more important than politics?
Yes: Politics divides a nation. Football brings it together. None of the 15 general elections since 1966 have gripped the national psyche like winning the World Cup did.
No: Football cannot guarantee equal rights, protect minorities, stop climate change or uphold the rule of law. It is, to paraphase MarxKarl Marx was a 19th-Century German economist and philosopher who argued that capitalism was doomed to collapse., the opium of the people, a distraction to take us away from what really matters.
Or... It depends on what you see as important. Politics can shape our freedoms and future in a way sport cannot. But great sporting moments inspire powerful emotions, define our memories and help cement communities.
Gareth Southgate - As a player he appeared 57 times for England. He became the team's manager in 2016, and guided it to the World Cup semi-finals two years later.
Chancellor - The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the minister responsible for the British government's economic policy. The job is often regarded as second in power and important to that of the prime minister.
Consumer confidence - Measures how consumers feel (optimistic or pessimistic) about the state of the economy.
Sceptics - Those who doubt commonly accepted opinions - named after the "skeptic" philosophers of Ancient Greece.
Marx - Karl Marx was a 19th-Century German economist and philosopher who argued that capitalism was doomed to collapse.
What might change if England win on Sunday

Glossary
Gareth Southgate - As a player he appeared 57 times for England. He became the team's manager in 2016, and guided it to the World Cup semi-finals two years later.
Chancellor - The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the minister responsible for the British government’s economic policy. The job is often regarded as second in power and important to that of the prime minister.
Consumer confidence - Measures how consumers feel (optimistic or pessimistic) about the state of the economy.
Sceptics - Those who doubt commonly accepted opinions - named after the "skeptic" philosophers of Ancient Greece.
Marx - Karl Marx was a 19th-Century German economist and philosopher who argued that capitalism was doomed to collapse.