England was going to win UEFA Euro 2020 and bring the trophy home. That final really felt like it was going to be a special moment for everyone. There were loads of newspaper articles about the England players and the manager, and people even joked that it would be a national holiday the day after if England won. Everyone across the country was really excited.Īll summer long, fans in England were singing funny, lighthearted songs about how soccer was going to come “home,” back to England, the country that helped invent the sport.

Just like in 1966, England was playing in a final at home. Soccer fans had waited fifty-five years for this moment, and to make things even better, the final was being held in Wembley Stadium in London.

It was the first time we had made it to the final of an international tournament since the World Cup in 1966. So England playing in a European final was a BIG deal! Everyone learns how to play it at school, and most weekends, thousands and thousands of people go to stadiums around the country to watch their favorite soccer team play. It’s the most popular sport in the country. (I know, it’s confusing to have a tournament called Euro 2020 in the summer of 2021, but COVID-19 caused a delay on a lot of things!) On July 11, 2021, England faced Italy in the final of UEFA Euro 2020. Rashford’s first novel, the middle grade fiction book The Breakfast Club Adventures, is out in May, co-written with Alex Falase-Koya and illustrated by Marta Kissi.I WANT TO START THIS BOOK BY TELLING YOU A STORY. “We want to build on some of the ideas and principles developed in the first book and hopefully create something to help young people foster their communities and go out and shape the world,” said Anka. “This is about how you can use your voice to support others.”ĭescribed as an “inspirational guide” for children aged between 10 and 14, You Can Do It will see the footballer “encourage readers to use their voice to champion causes they care about”, and give advice about the importance of teamwork, how “even the smallest changes can have the biggest impact”, and how to “use your voice to make a meaningful change for the better”.Īnka said he “leapt” at the chance to collaborate with Rashford again. “The insight sessions were brilliant and I’m proud of the outcome, focusing on how we can best champion one another, and view difference as a positive rather than a means to discriminate,” Rashford said.

You Are a Champion by Marcus Rashford