Three Lions (1996, Baddiel and Skinner)

The 1996 Channel 4 documentary following the England squad at Euro 96 — accompanying the recording of "Three Lions" by Baddiel, Skinner, and the Lightning Seeds — captured a moment of genuine national optimism. England's semi-final exit (losing on penalties to Germany, again) made the documentary a meditation on hope, failure, and the impossibility of English football success. "Football's Coming Home" became the most culturally resonant sports anthem in British history. The documentary is inseparable from the song.