England will play against Tunisia in Volgograd on Monday in their first game of the tournament.

“We are of course aware of the history of the city and the importance of that battle in World War II. You respect the people that have lost their lives, who fought together. To see the statue and have an understanding of the history remind you that some things are even bigger than football,” Southgate told journalists at the pre-match conference.

Volgograd, known as Stalingrad during World War II, was the site of one of the most important battles of the war - the Battle of Stalingrad, where around two million soldiers lost their lives.