England’s World Cup campaign got off to a winning start, but not everyone was impressed by the fanfare surrounding Thomas Tuchel’s side ahead of their opener.
Kasper Schmeichel took aim at England’s relentless fixation with their solitary World Cup triumph, delivering a cutting verdict that resonated far beyond Scotland’s borders.
The former Celtic keeper made the remarks during Fox Sports’ coverage of England’s opening World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday night.
England produced an entertaining performance, with Thomas Tuchel’s side edging out a thrilling 4-2 victory to begin their tournament campaign in strong fashion.
Harry Kane put England in front twice during the first half, only to be pegged back on both occasions by a determined Croatian side.
Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford then sealed the victory after the break, giving England a convincing margin heading into the knockout stages.
The buildup to the match was, as has become customary, saturated with references to England’s only men’s World Cup title, won sixty years ago in 1966.
Tired invocations of football “coming home” were once again present, and Schmeichel, a 120-time Denmark international, appeared thoroughly unimpressed by the spectacle.
The game was held at Dallas Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, a franchise that has not won a Super Bowl since 1995 despite its enormous global profile.
Schmeichel spotted the comparison immediately, delivering his verdict directly to former England internationals Peter Crouch and Alex Scott on live television.
“We’re in the Dallas Cowboys stadium,” he said. “I liken England a little bit to the Dallas Cowboys – a massive, massive team with so much talent, but they won it once and they’ve never stopped talking about it.”
He followed the remark with a characteristically dry finish, adding: “Just putting that out there. Maybe today’s the day it changes, I don’t know…”
The dig drew an obvious parallel between two sporting giants whose legacies remain defined by distant glories rather than recent silverware.
England will next face Ghana in their second group stage fixture on Tuesday, June 23, with Tuchel’s side looking to build on their impressive opening result.
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