The night before the big match,
No nation defeated,
no nation victorious.

The world’s still awake with hopes and anticipation,
All predictions feel reasonable.
All records seem beatable.

The night before every emotion is unleashed,
Before joy and heartbreak collide.

Somewhere,
A child is falling asleep in his jersey,
completely convinced his team will win it,
Elsewhere,
An old supporter removing his scarf from the cabinet.

Neither knows,
Football has never bothered with certainty,
It thrives on the unknown.

Across the globe,
Boots are being polished,
Shots are being practiced.
Celebrations are being rehearsed.

For tonight the trophy belongs to no one.

But tomorrow is something different,
Something people wait for every four years.
Staying up late or getting up early,
Completely invested in something far more important than sleep.

However,
Tonight none of that has yet happened,
The favourites haven’t fallen,
The underdogs haven’t risen,
The legends are not yet written,
Heartbreaks have not chosen their home.

Tonight none of that exists,
Everyone still believes.
And perhaps,
that’s what’s beautiful about the entire tournament,
When hope belongs equally to everyone.