“It’s coming home, it’s coming home; It’s coming, football’s coming home”.
After years of disappointed and underachieving, Gareth Southgate’s band of men is delivering the best attempt to win the World Cup since 1990 when England went out to Germany on penalties in the semi finals.
Today, Kane and Co. find themselves just two matches away from World Cup glory, with victory bringing the privilege to have their nation’s name engraved on the trophy of all trophies.
Despite it being perhaps the most recognised sporting tournament in the world, the cup itself does not actually boast such a long history.
Only commissioned in 1970, it was to replace the Jules Rimet trophy (the one that England won in 1966).
Apparently Jules Rimet, who was the instigator of the first World Cup tournament, desired that the cup be owned in perpetuity by the first team to win it three times.
When Brazil achieved this feat in 1970, the search for a new cup began.
53 submissions were reviewed by FIFA, and the design was awarded to an Italian sculptor, Silvio Gazzaniga.
Like the Jules Rimet trophy, it measures 35cm high and is made of 5 kilograms of 18 carat gold, which would cost about $200,000.
The design is of two figures supporting a globe and spiralling upwards in the moment of victory.
But now for the engraving…
Unlike many of the older trophies for major sporting competitions, the engraving actually plays quite a low-key role. On the front of the base is the only visible engraving, where there is written “FIFA World Cup”.
But there is more engraving that lurks beneath…
…quite literally. Because all of the historic winners of the trophy are engraved on the bottom of the base in a spiral formation.
Who knows, give it a few more days and there may be an additional country listed… the country that is the home of football.