Joe Cole on why "you need the football gods with you to win a tournament", Harry Kane massive summer, and that goal against Sweden

For all the technological changes that have transformed football over the past two decades, some things remain reassuringly familiar.

Major tournaments still send people flooding into pubs. Pals still gather around screens, piling into homes, and entire communities still find themselves living and dying by every kick of the ball.

It's a tradition Samsung is celebrating through its Raise The Bar campaign, which has awarded Margate pub The Lord Byron a major technology upgrade ahead of the World Cup after thousands of public votes. To mark the occasion, former England midfielder Joe Cole paid a visit to the pub and joined locals gearing up for another summer of football.

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The campaign may be focused on improving the viewing experience, but for Cole, football has never really been about the screen itself. It's about the people standing around it.

Ahead of the tournament, we spoke to the former England star about football's unique ability to bring communities together, the greatest atmospheres he experienced during his playing career and why England's fortunes this summer may ultimately come down to moments rather than performances.

Why football still matters

For Cole, football's enduring appeal comes down to something fundamentally human. "Football cuts every corner of the globe, every nook and cranny," he says. "Ultimately, we're human beings, and we love to play. It's a release of pressure."

Part of the sport's power lies in its simplicity. Anyone can play it. Anyone can understand it. And when the world's best players gather every four years, it becomes something far bigger than a game. "We're playful creatures," he says. "The game is simple, it's beautiful, and it can be played by everyone."

At a time when so much feels increasingly polarised, Cole believes football offers something increasingly rare. "So much is divisive and so much is easy to compartmentalise. The pureness of football is a beautiful thing and something that should be cherished and celebrated."

The importance of watching together

That sense of togetherness is one of the reasons Cole remains such a believer in watching football with your pals. After visiting The Lord Byron in Margate, he was reminded of how much local pubs still matter during major tournaments.

"The people were so happy for it," he says. "You could sense them getting excited." For Cole, football remains one of the few places where people from completely different backgrounds can gather around a common passion.

"Regardless of race, religion or politics, people come together at football," he says. "Especially when it's England."

As the tournament approaches, he hopes supporters across the country can rally behind the national team and enjoy the occasion together.

"Hopefully, England sends their support and their love, and we go and have a great tournament."

The greatest atmospheres of his career

We asked Cole about the best atmosphere he experienced as a player, and the answer isn't straightforward. Football crowds can transform in an instant, he says. A tense game can explode into life through a goal, a tackle or a moment of brilliance.

Still, a few nights stand above the rest despite such an illustrious career.

"The Champions League semi-final away at Anfield was a really brilliant, hostile atmosphere," he recalls. Chelsea's famous victory over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge also remains etched in his memory.

"It was really rocking that night," he says. "That's probably the best I've heard at Stamford Bridge." This was the game featuring that Ronaldinho goal that many still regard as one of football's greatest moments. "That's a wild goal," Cole laughs. "But it came from a wild player."

Why tournaments are decided by moments

Few players understand tournament football better than Cole, and his theory on what separates winners from everyone else is refreshingly simple. "It's about moments."

He points to the tiny gap that exists between the world's elite teams. "The margins between the top ten teams are minuscule," he says. "To win a tournament, you need the football gods with you." That's why he likes much of what Thomas Tuchel has been saying ahead of England's campaign.

Rather than obsessing over systems and tactics, Cole believes international football is often decided by individual moments of quality, resilience and fortune. "A goal, a goal-line clearance, a save, a sending off, a referee decision," he says. "You have to get the big moments right."

With extreme temperatures expected to play a role and squads likely to be stretched throughout the competition, Cole believes depth could prove just as important as star quality. "It's a 15 or 16-man game now," he says. "You'll use every substitution."

A World Cup memory that never fades

Joe Cole goal vs Sweden | ALL THE ANGLES | 2006 FIFA World Cup - YouTube

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Cole's own defining England moment arrived on the biggest stage of all. "Scoring against Sweden at the World Cup was the highlight," he says. "To score a great goal on the biggest stage means it lives long in people's memory."

What continues to surprise him is how often supporters still approach him to share where they were when they watched it. "I must have heard everyone's story of where they were when I scored that goal," he says. For Cole, that's one of football's greatest gifts. "You can have a moment that affects someone's life where they can say, 'I remember that.' That's incredible."

This England team feels different

Cole believes England's current squad has evolved beyond being reliant on one or two stars. While Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham remain the standout names, he sees a more balanced team than in previous tournaments.

"Under Gareth Southgate, it was often very Harry Kane-driven, and then it became Jude Bellingham," he says. Now, he believes the collective is becoming just as important as the individuals.

"I think people are buying into the team."That doesn't diminish the importance of England's biggest stars, however. "We have two absolute major stars in Bellingham and Kane."

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