Just four days after terrorist attacks shook Paris, roughly 71,000 people joined together before England and France's friendly on Tuesday to sing a stirring rendition of the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise." Those attending the match at Wembley Stadium in London spent the moments before kickoff standing as a unified, defiant front against terrorism.
In the moments immediately after the anthem, all those in the grandstands -- including Prince William and prime minister David Cameron -- fell silent to honor the 129 known victims of Friday’s tragedy.
All day, the famous arch that extends over the stadium had been lit with the blue, white and red of the French flag, a marked and meaningful contrast from the grey gloom of the London skyline behind it. For a French team that was on the field of the Stade de France as explosions erupted around it, this show of international solidarity had additional significance.
Neither Lassana Diarra nor Antoine Griezmann -- the two French players who had relatives experience the attacks firsthand -- started the match today. Diarra’s cousin was tragically killed that night, while Griezmann’s sister was able to escape the hostage scene at the Bataclan concert hall and reach safety.
As was expected, the security presence surged in advance of Tuesday’s game, with a “100% search operation” put in place for all entering Wembley, and both armed and unarmed officers patrolling the stadium. These “beefed up” measures come after the Stade de France security officials were applauded for their decision to “keep spectators inside after the blasts,” with the French sports minister Patrick Kanner claiming that that choice “limited” the explosions’ death toll.
Moreover, while the English Football Association said it would refund tickets to the match given spectators’ safety concerns, The Mirror reports that only 100 people took the FA up on its offer, with sales reportedly spiking as of late -- a spike that can be seen as a further testament to tonight's emphasis on unity.
"We will sing [the anthem] together and share in that moment," French captain Hugo Lloris said earlier this week of the teams' newfound solidarity. "I know they'll help us to commemorate [this moment] … The French nation is more important than French football tomorrow."
Right now, 22 French and English players are facing off on the pitch, competing in a soccer match whose final score is seemingly less important than its opening moments. After days heavy with mourning and unanswered questions, the simple fact that tens of thousands showed up to Wembley today, many waving the colors of their rival team, prioritizing this united stand in the face of so much of the unknown, and so much terror, is perhaps the greatest sign yet of a brighter future to come.
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