'It's very Bond': Fashion experts on the England squad's off-pitch look

Carolyn Mair, a chartered psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion, says the team uniform from Marks and Spencer is "a very smart, business-casual look – it is masculine but absolutely not aggressive".

She adds: "It's showing their confidence, they're successful – quite discerning with the styling.

"And not overly corporate, because they're not wearing ties – they have polo shirts and round-neck tops. It reduces the social distance from people, we feel closer to them."

She highlights the consistency of their look, saying this shows not only group identity but also "shared values".

"We imagine these people are very much cohesive not just in their values but their behaviours," she adds.

"It doesn't look like any one of them is out there trying to get attention as the superstar of the group. It's a levelling of the playing field."

As for the collaboration with London-based Palace, Longmore says: "It's going to be massive. They've been so clever with their marketing campaign. There are some really cool pieces."

She said the 90s feel could have been inspired by England's performance in the 1990 tournament, when they came fourth.

"There's a big fashion moment with the 90s coming back – but also in the World Cup, 1990 was when England got a long way. I think there's a nod to that as well," she adds.

Kwei describes it as "a seamless partnership" - citing a Palace pair of trainers inspired by a football boot.

"It's a perfect instance of how to translate sportswear into desirable streetwear."

She adds that the new partner could appeal to Gen Z - "helping introduce football and the World Cup to a new audience".

Mair says the Palace tracksuit in grey again shows unity, with the chosen colour "very modern". "It's a neat move to work with a skateboarding brand," she adds. "They look fashionable, but it's not a trend."

And their baby blue Nike tracksuit, worn as they arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, their World Cup base, also shows a lot of thought has gone into it, Kwei says, with the choice of colour being both formal and accessible.

"It's quite fashionable - for a reason," she adds. "It's more youthful, it's easier to connect with."

Longmore says the tracksuit is "ticking all the boxes", made with recycled materials and "super trending" tapered-leg trousers.

"It doesn't necessarily shout 'I'm an England supporter' with a number seven on the back."

Not everyone has praised it though. Anna Murphy, fashion director for the Times, called the "pale blue polyester tracksuit" a "monstrosity".

But it's how they play on the night that's going to count.

Mair says the uniformity of the squad's look shows they are "working together".

"This is about performance, not being performative," she adds.

"It looks like they are prepared to do a good job."

Will this translate onto the pitch on Wednesday - and in the rest of their group matches? It's all to play for.