The week that could change everything

England have reached their second successive major tournament semi final and the nation once again believes that football is coming home!

Yet again the fate of the England national football team is dominating a summer in the way it has done on a two yearly basis since 1996. Ever since the Euro's tournament was hosted by England in 1996, the hope that England will win a major tournament and bring football home has accompanied the team to every tournament.

But is it about football coming home in the sense of winning a trophy, or is it about football coming home in terms of providing moments, and creating memories that unite a country? The fortunes of the England team at major tournaments seem to provide extreme highs and lows that are rarely replicated in the club game.

This is has only appeared to be the case since 1996 though. Prior to that, there was interest in the results of the England team at World Cups and Euro's but it rarely absorbed the country in the way it does now. This could be because the wait for a trophy since 1966 continues to extend, it could be that qualifying for tournaments is so easy now that it is only tournament games that capture the imagination, it could be that the unique experience of uniting in a common cause is now such a contrast to the ultra competitive domestic leagues, it could just be that its fashionable to jump aboard the England bandwagon.

What is certain is that you can look back over the last 25 years at moments such as the Euro 96 4-1 win over the Dutch, the 1-0 win over Argentina in the Middle East in 2002, the last minute winner over Wales in 2016, the penalty shootout win over Colombia at the last world cup, and the two wins during the last week of Euro 2020 and remember the pure joy and ecstasy of those moments. If England record two more wins at Wembley this week, we are guaranteed two more emotional games which will live long in the memory.

But will that ruin it for the future? Will the moments that have been so memorable over the last 25 years lose their significance in the future if we have lifted a trophy? For instance, the 2018 win over Colombia was a spine tingling moment for all England fans but the reality was it was a win in the last 16. By winning a competition, will a last 16 win ever have the same impact again?

There will be extreme highs over the next week if England coninue their run and win the tournament, but if they do then cherish these moments as long as you can because win or lose it might always be different in the future.