After cruising past Senegal in a 3-0 victory, England now finds themselves in the final 8, and by extension, one step closer to making history.
This World Cup‘s English contingent has a rather special aura around it, packed with brimming young talents and some vastly experienced veterans, the squad balance is top-notch.
And aside from their qualities on the pitch, their personalities also play a key role in achieving that balance.
Unlike the previous ‘Golden generation’, this squad radiates unity and cohesion, a far cry from the conflict-laden teams of the previous era.
Their togetherness shines even in behind-the-scenes clips, a recent example being an impromptu spelling bee organized by Bukayo Saka.
Like many of his teammates, the Arsenal forward has been relishing and recording moments from his adventures in Qatar and subsequently uploading them to his socials.
His TikTok, in particular, has been a real delight, and currently houses many hilarious clips featuring Saka and his fellow Three Lions.
One of the more recent uploads saw the 21-year-old challenge his teammates spelling knowledge, beginning with Leicester City’s James Maddison.
Tasked to spell ‘Aesthetic’, Maddison messed up by omitting the ‘h’, and could only smile in surprise after realizing it.
Up next was Jack Grealish, with the word being ‘rhythm’, and his answer is sure to leave you baffled.
The Man City forward calmly spelt out ‘rhymth’, which is hilariously incorrect, and even Saka couldn’t help but chuckle.
The youngster went on to continue the game at dinner, roping in West Ham’s Declan Rice for Round 3.
After catching some taunts, the midfielder looked ready for the challenge, he even moved the glassware out of the way.
Tasked with spelling out ‘Pronunciation’, he started out confidently and uttered every letter with clarity.
However, self-doubt quickly kicked in and Rice immediately began backtracking.
By adding an ‘o’ before the ‘u’ during his first attempt, he had already messed up.
And Saka was all too happy to point it out.
From afar these may look like standard 30-second interactions, but they still manage to convey quite a bit about the chemistry within the team.
The vibes are clearly excellent, and Bukayo Saka remains a top bloke.