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England’s 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany was filled with multiple storylines.

From the high expectations placed on the so-called Golden Generation before the tournament to Wayne Rooney’s recovery from a metatarsal injury, the competition ultimately ended in another quarter-final defeat, once again decided by penalties.

However, away from the football field, a new cultural phenomenon emerged as the term ‘WAG’—wives and girlfriends—became part of the national conversation.

England were based in Baden-Baden during the tournament, and as the team settled into their surroundings, the tabloid media’s attention noticeably shifted from on-pitch performances to the daily lives and outings of the players’ partners.

Looking back nearly twenty years later, Joe Cole and Ashley Cole, both members of that England squad, believe that the players were not personally affected by the growing media frenzy surrounding their families.

“It was irrelevant to the players,” Joe told FourFourTwo. “People talk about it a lot. The girls were just doing what they normally do—enjoying themselves with their families. They’d go out for dinner, but it was the press that turned it into a big story.”

Although some teammates have since suggested the attention became a distraction, Joe insists he didn’t see it that way.

“It didn’t bother me at all,” he continued. “I’ve heard others say it was distracting, but I was just happy that my family were having a great time—and they deserved to, because we were all on that journey together.”

For Ashley Cole, any issues that arose were down to planning rather than the media itself.

“Maybe the press shouldn’t have been staying in the same hotel,” he explained. “It wasn’t really the journalists’ fault—whoever organised it shouldn’t have put both groups in the same place.”

Joe agreed, noting that the close proximity made it easy for stories to surface: “They were always listening out for something to write about,” he said, with Ashley adding, “Yeah, it was crazy…”

Former West Ham United and Liverpool midfielder Joe also reflected on how the media environment of the mid-2000s contributed to the rise of the WAG phenomenon.

“Social media has changed everything now,” he said. “Back then, the press needed constant material—pictures of the girls going for a jog or out shopping would end up on the front page. I find it unbelievable that people are so interested in that celebrity world. It’s mad, but it sells, doesn’t it?”

‘Could It Be Coming Home?’ with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is presented by Carling, the official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. The show is available to watch on YouTube and Spotify, or you can listen to it on your preferred podcast platform.

Chris Flanagan, Senior Staff Writer