Rather than weaken Canada, it has strengthened attachments, with more naturalised citizens reporting a strong sense of belonging to Canada than Canadian-born citizens.
This experiment shows that strong national pride need not be inherited.
It can and should be adapted and evolved around shared commitments that find a way to include people from different backgrounds.
At a time when politicians, pundits and some tech billionaires increasingly invite us to see Britain as irreparably divided, England's football team offered a different vision: confident, ambitious and united by shared purpose rather than shared ancestry.
That vision alone will not solve Britain's economic problems or repair its frayed public services.
But it can remind us that good government ultimately depends upon the stories citizens tell themselves about who 'we' are.
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After Monday's game, millions of people briefly inhabited the same story. Britain's challenge now is to write one that lasts longer than 90 minutes.
