England’s opening match in World Cup 2018 was a dramatic clash between Gareth Southgate’s Young Lions and several million gnats, not to mention Tunisia’s wrestling footballers. England pulled a win out of the bag at the last minute – but only after a gruelling fight with some determined insects. Those plucky gnats also had to fight off the insecticide treatments of nearby swamps and insect repellent sprays deployed by the team and the media.