See how England stars are always game for a laugh during previous World Cup tournaments
As England footballers get ready for the 2022 World Cup, we take a look at how the team in past tournaments let off steam before the big games with a look through the archive
It’s been a funny old game for the Three Lions stars ever since mascot World Cup Willie helped the nation net football’s greatest prize in 1966.
Gary Lineker deserves some stick for dressing as a US cop with those arrestingly short shorts ahead of Mexico 1986. He won the Golden Boot but it was Maradona who had a huge hand in England’s quarter-final exit.
When England were down Mexico way in 1970, joker Nobby Stiles held up Peter Osgood with a gun.
Bryan Robson dressed as a matador ahead of Spain ’82 and England’s ’66 side posed in a London boxing ring hoping to meet Muhammad Ali ahead of a fight. In 2018 England trained with a blue rubber chicken then lost a semi with Croatia.
Maybe the current yoga sessions will help them on Monday against Iran.
1 of 10 England footballers Steve McMahon, Steve Bull, Chris Waddle and Paul Gascoigne relax on a pedalo in the Bay of Naples, Italy, circa July 1990
(Image:Popperfoto via Getty Images)2 of 10 England training for their first match in the FIFA World Cup in France on June 11, 1998
(Image:Getty Images)3 of 10 Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck pose with military based at Urca after the England training session on June 16, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
(Image:The FA via Getty Images)4 of 10 England's Nobby Stiles holding up teammate Peter Osgood with a pistol at the Rodeo in the old Olympic village
(Image:Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
5 of 10 Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly pose for at the launch of their official England World Cup song "On the Ball"
(Image:Getty Images)6 of 10 England World Cup footballers wait at a London gym to see Muhammad Ali train, but had to leave for their own training before Ali arrived
(Image:Popperfoto via Getty Images)7 of 10 A toy chicken is seen during the England training session on July 10, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia
(Image:Getty Images)
8 of 10 England's Bryan Robson dressed in traditional matador's uniform, complete with hat and cape, holds a rose between his teeth
(Image:Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images)9 of 10 English forward Wayne Rooney smiles during a training session at Mittelbergstadion in Bühlertal on June 13, 2006
(Image:AFP via Getty Images)10 of 10 England footballer Glenn Hoddle poses in Mexico
(Image:Getty Images)