Fan Diary: The World Cup is a magical time where we celebrate the unity of people

Another week and even more excitement! 

As we approach the last set of group games, the tension and excitement is reaching extreme heights.

Teams have shown incredible determination and grit in order to stay in the tournament for as long as possible and the fans have been a huge support in motivating their team to the very end of additional time. 

The World Cup is a magical time, when we all celebrate the unity of people and cultures from all across the globe meeting in one place. 

It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of football and that we are all a part of something bigger, a huge community brought together by our common love for the game.

Whether it is outside the stadiums seeing fans from both sides taking pictures together or inside fan zones watching games as a community, the game has the power of bringing people together. 

Before the England vs China match, I took the opportunity to explore the vibrant city of Sydney and immerse myself in the rich Chinese culture. 

From visiting the culture centre, to the beautifully scenic friendship garden situated in the city centre, to tasting traditional Chinese dishes, it was lovely discovering more about the culture. 

And then the moment all Lionesses fans had been waiting for arrived – the match against China. England’s last group game! 

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric. The fans were right behind the girls spurring them on. And what a game it was! 

Our Lionesses were on fire, they put on a sensational performance, defeating China 6-1 giving us lots of opportunities to celebrate. 

Hearing that final whistle blow, I felt an immense feeling of joy, the Lionesses had just topped their group and were onto the round of 16. 

The journey continues!