There is a huge responsibility on all of us to get England

Hear now the words of Rio Ferdinand, spoken with the weight of a nation upon his shoulders: “There is a huge responsibility on all of us to get England through. It would be one of the biggest disasters in sports history if we blew it and we must make sure it does not happen.” These words are no mere call to play a game, but a trumpet-blast, summoning men to rise above themselves for the sake of their people. They speak of responsibility, of duty, of the sacred trust carried by those who wear the colors of their land.

For in the contests of nations, sport is never only sport. It is the vessel of pride, the mirror of unity, the battlefield where nations measure their courage not in blood, but in spirit. When Rio Ferdinand spoke these words, he echoed the cries of countless capt