"The 'Millennial Rivals' Met Through Soccer: The Frog-Eating Frenchman"

'The Hundred Years' War' Is Just a Trailer
The Night of the England-France Football War

What is the worst insult to the British?

"Frogs-eating Frenchmen"

What is the worst insult to the French?

"Beef-grilling Englishmen"

It is hard to find examples of good feelings between neighboring countries. Among them, England and France have a long history and a diverse background as 'millennial rivals.'

◆The gourmet nation France: "Englishmen who just eat chunks of meat"

The key word in the insults exchanged between the British and the French is 'food.'

Based on ingredients grown on fertile land, France has established itself as a gourmet country. To the French, British cuisine is considered the worst in the world.

Roast Beef is a beloved dish among the British. However, it is a subject of ridicule for the French.

They say, "What kind of cooking is just roasting a big chunk of meat and sprinkling salt on it?" With such disdain and contempt, the French mock the British by calling them 'rosbif' (roast beef).

British singer Sting sang, "Be yourself no matter what they say," and "It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile," but it seems easier said than done.

The British retort to the French, "You Frenchmen who eat frogs!"

At English Premier League (EPL) football stadiums, songs about 'frog-eating Frenchmen' can sometimes be heard.

The London-based football club Arsenal once had many French players. World-class players such as Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Flamini, and Olivier Giroud played for Arsenal. The manager who led Arsenal's golden era, Ars?ne Wenger, is also French.

For Leicester City fans based in Leicester, Leicestershire in central England, Arsenal's 'Frenchness' was a subject of mockery.

When facing Arsenal, they sang this song.

"Who let the frogs out (into the stadium), who, who, who, who (Who let the frogs out, who who who who)"

English and French have also competed for status as international languages.

Most familiar diplomatic terms such as agrement and communique were directly borrowed from French. France was a major European power and a cultural center.

French functioned as the language of the upper class, and even English kings once regarded French as their mother tongue. This is why many diplomatic languages are French.

After the Industrial Revolution, as Britain's national power rapidly grew, French began to yield its role and function to English. The decisive blow came with World Wars I and II. English, once a peripheral language, is now the undisputed primary international language. Of course, it was not Britain but the United States that largely established English's current status.

In the West, jousting among knights remained as a form of sport in the late Middle Ages, but it is known that there were hardly any instances of one-on-one combat in actual battle. (Photo by Wikipedia)

◆116 years of war... thus they became 'British' and 'French'

They also have a history of bloody wars, wielding swords, bows, spears, and shields.

The Hundred Years' War is considered the biggest event. From 1337 to 1453, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France fought a war lasting a staggering 116 years.

Paradoxically, this war became an opportunity for both sides to form their national identities. At that time, the concept of a nation-state was virtually weak. England became isolated on an island due to the war, naturally distancing itself from the European continent and establishing its own boundaries.

The same goes for France. The savior of France was Joan of Arc, the 'Maid of Orl?ans.' She was a symbol of the 'French' who resisted England and remains a symbol of French patriotism today.

The Battle of Waterloo, which defeated Napoleon Bonaparte, is a perpetual pride for the British. In June 1815, near Waterloo in Belgium, the French army led by Napoleon was defeated by the British-led allied forces under the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley. This battle marked the complete end of the Napoleonic Wars.

French National Football Team Kylian Mbappe

◆Instead of guns and swords, footballs... the 'millennial rivals' football war night

These two countries will face off at 4 a.m. Korean time on the 11th in a decisive match for a spot in the semifinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The quarterfinal match draws more attention from football fans than any other. England and France are already in an atmosphere of all-out battle.

However, it seems unlikely that the result of this match will cause them to hate each other more in reality.

Rather, they are more likely to strengthen their national unity through a proxy war using footballs instead of guns and swords. Just as they confirmed their identities through the Hundred Years' War.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.