England and Croatia will face off Wednesday for the chance to advance to the World Cup final, and the anticipation couldn't be higher.
England is hoping to continue its best World Cup run since 1990, while Croatia is crossing its fingers for its first-ever shot at the final. Legions of Britons are already cheering about the cup "coming home," and The Guardian reports that an estimated 30,000 rabid fans will turn out to watch the match at London's Hyde Park. British Prime Minister Theresa May joined the football fever in her own diplomatic way, exchanging national jerseys with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at the NATO summit. Looking for the biggest possible display of support for the Three Lions, other fans are spelling "it's coming home" on their daily jogs, dressing as 12th-century English Crusaders, and playing the now-anthemic song "Three Lions (Football's Coming Home)" on repeat.
England is slightly favored in the match — but scrappy Croatia hasn't lost in the tournament yet this year, and boasts more tournament goal-scorers on its roster than both England and France, which punched its ticket to the final Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Belgium. Croatian fans are promising to be "very loud" despite their nation's small population, with soccer enthusiasts rushing to get to Moscow to don their Croatian-flag water polo hats in time for the match.
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The semifinal match between England and Croatia begins at 2 p.m. EST, while the championship will take place Sunday, July 15.
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