Sir Ian McKellen, the veteran British actor, enthusiastically shared motivational words for England’s football team ahead of their Round of 32 match in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Attempting to reunite fans, the 83-year-old star lent his voice for the short film ‘Love Letter to England,’ collaborating with award-winning playwright James Graham to answer the question: What is it to be English?Here’s a closer look at Sir Ian McKellen’s inspirational words to unite England fans for the FIFA World Cup knockout match.
Ian McKellen hopes to reunite fans to support England’s knockout match
As England nears their knockout match against DR Congo, Sir Ian McKellen released a short film appealing to fans to support the national team. This move follows the ‘National Conversation’ initiative produced last month, which invited fans to share their words and leave a 60-second note expressing their emotional vision. “They say we lack a story, yet ours are some of the oldest there are. That’s where they have passion; we are polite,” the ‘X-Men’ star said in the short film per The Sun, before adding, “ Yet we are the lions that roar. They say our spirit is broken, yet how we laugh and how we love. We know who we are at our best when we are together. Don’t let them tell you otherwise. We know who we are.”
When Ian McKellen spoke about the National Conversation
The commission shares a vision of bringing people together at a critical time. “The reason this commission nailed it is that rather than being top down, it’s grassroots: you tell us what you want, based on your experience in your community. It’s an actual conversation with people, offering ideas about their lives and telling us what they miss, what they want and what they need,” he said, per The Guardian. ‘Love Letter to England,’ the 1-minute 40-second short film, can be watched on YouTube.