This World Cup shows how contradictory and messy it is to define who we are

It’s a “Love Letter to England”.

- Kenan Malik

Written by James Graham, the man whose play Dear England transformed the image of Gareth Southgate from a mediocre national manager into an icon of Englishness, the 90-second film, designed to rouse support for the team at the World Cup, is tub-thumping in a restrained, very Southgate way.

Narrated by Ian McKellen at his most sonorous, it concludes: “We know who we are”. Yet, if this World Cup has shown us anything, it is how complicated it can be to define “who we are”.

Michael Olise, one of the world’s best forwards, was born in west London and played for Reading and Crystal Palace before joining the German giants Bayern Munich, but may win the World Cup with France. Born to a British-Nigerian father and Franco-Algerian mother, he celebrates the fact that he is the product of “four countries... which all enrich me”.

When England took on DR Congo last week, facing them was Aaron Wan-Bissaka, born in Croydon and currently playing for West Ham. He represented England at under-21 level, before shifting allegiance to DR Congo last year.

Ninety-nine players at the World Cup were born in France, but just 23 play for Les Bleus. Algeria and Haiti have between them more players born in France than does the French squad. Almost a quarter of the players in the tournament were not born in the country for which they play. Morocco made World Cup history during their game with Brazil when, for a period of the match, every Moroccan player on the pitch was born outside the nation.