LIKE many people across the United Kingdom, the author of this piece is waiting patiently for the England game against Mexico to start.

Quite honestly, dear reader, this is a last ditch plea not to fall asleep.

In between reading about the 1934 World Cup, where Fascist Italy won amid deliberate rigging of the tournament by a Swedish referee known as Ivan Ekland and listening to Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards talk about a Mexican teenager, the thoughts have turned to the subject of England and music.

After all, the art of a decent world cup song has become as much an anachronism as Bebo or politicians telling the truth.

It’s merely hours before the prospect of battle with Haaland approaches and here is our take on what is the best England world cup song.

Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds – Three Lions

This for me is the greatest world cup song. There might be a bit of bias here because I have been a Lightning Seeds fan for about 20 years, but in the absence of scientific proof that would prove me right anyway, this is my opinion.

It’s a song that could never have happened at all – for Ian Broudie originally was reluctant to do a World Cup song until watching Baddiel and Skinner’s Fantasy Football League presented him with an idea – he’d do it if they joined him.

Legend has it the FA didn’t really like the song because it wasn’t overwhelmingly positive but rather a song that portrayed what it was like to be a fan – and that it didn’t have the squad singing on it. Probably for the best.

The fact it is still chanted to this day tells you how it has gone into folklore – but I think it’s safe to say there won’t be a new version anytime soon.

Three other versions were later released. A rather joyous Christmas effort when the Lionesses won brought a nice bookend to the song series while Three Lions 98 added a super new version with a genuinely excellent music video. As for THAT cover song, let’s not go there.

New Order - World in Motion

World in Motion is an excellent song in many ways – including of course the infamous John Barnes rap.

The one thing that really sticks with me is when you compare it to other New Order tracks, it hasn’t dated as well in how it sounds; it sounds like a song of its time. Where Three Lions, despite it’s 60’s inspired production sound is evergreen in both how repeatable it is and its relevance, World in Motion is a bit more woolly in its lyrics and the production of the song is long overdue a punchy remaster.

It remains to be seen who would rap in a remake – Jordan Pickford, maybe?

Dishonourable mentions

Embrace – World at Your Feet (Was this the last world cup song).

Ant and Dec – We’re On the Ball (Let’s not go there).

Fat Les – Vindaloo. (Before you complain, what is the song even meant to say?)