#ssatl

Stars, Stripes & Three Lions

Summary: As England’s National Football Team's social media manager, the last thing you need during the 2026 FIFA World Cup is another distraction - especially one wearing a USA football shirt. But when your childhood best friend Sarah, reunites her worlds and introduces you to star midfielder Rafe Cameron, keeping things professional becomes harder than either of you expected. As fan theories spread and rivalries intensify, you’ll have to decide whether some lines are worth crossing - even if the whole internet is watching.

Warnings: swearing, angst, suggestive jokes (i'll add on as the series goes!)

Series Tag Nav: #ssatl |

Minor notes

Chapers:

01. london calling

02. empire state of mind

03. like a tattoo

04. ice water

05. around me

ongoing...

Stars, Stripes & Three Lions

04. ice water

a/n: for context to one of the comments in an insta post i recommend watching this clip (so fucking funny)

series masterlist

@ england

training done. vibes good. first world cup match tomorrow. 🦁🦁🦁👊

liked by: @ davidbeckham, @ jamestrafford, @ chloekelly +4.2M others

judebellingham: "vibes good"

⤷ england: keep it up and i'll convince tuchell to bench u for the next 5 games

marcusrashford: this account has fallen off👎👎

⤷ england: yo neymar sunny innit🙂☀️

chloekelly: good luck everyone!!

Stars, Stripes & Three Lions

0.3 like a tattoo

series masterlist

media, midfielder + menace gc

the boys + sarah

@ sarahhh

family dinner before the wc💞💞

liked by: @ rafecameron, @ ynln, @ haileybieber, @ jjmaybank +7.3M others

judebellingham: gorgeous as always

⤷ sarahhh: ❤️❤️

⤷ rafecameron: get a room mate

⤷ ynln: bro learned how to say "mate" once and never stopped

⤷ rafecameron: yeah and what mate

jbroutledge: good times

england: seems like a very organised dinner!! organise their field work next.

⤷ sarahhh: y/n are u allowed to use the offical account for ur tomfoolery

⤷ england: shhh

popeheyward: needed this😌😌

ynln: ew is that was my hair looks like from the back

Stars, Stripes & Three Lions

05. around me

a/n: i used a clip of cole palmer from this compilation, it's just too funny i had to include it

also this one of declan

series masterlist

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿ENG - PAN🇵🇦

4-0

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿ENG:

Harry Kane 18'

Bukayo Saka 37'

Cole Palmer 61'

Harry Kane 83'

🇵🇦PAN:

-

@ england on tiktok

y/n (behind camera): what's your go-to meal deal?

cole: i dont think i've ever had a meal deal

y/n: what sandwich would you get? like chicken, bacon-

cole: jam.

y/n: who's stealing food off other people's plates?

bukayo: kane

y/n: captain?

bukayo: *nods* he'll say 'can i have a chip'...and then...it's never just one chip...

y/n: who takes the longest to get ready?

jude: dec

y/n: how so?

jude: have you seen his hair? takes 45 minutes everyday to get it looking like that, absolute madness

y/n: yo neymar, sunny innit?

marcus: can i leave

y/n: okay sorry, sorry...which teammate would you never trust with the aux in the changing room?

marcus: ...do i have to answer that?

y/n: yes

marcus: ez

y/n: who's got the best music taste in the squad?

ez: me, hands down

y/n: who gets flamed the most in the group chat?

harry: whoever loses wordle

y/n: you lot bully each other over wordle?

harry: it's serious

y/n: one football conspiricy people genuinly believe?

declan: that i'm secretly of african descent

y/n: are you actually?

declan: no comment. just yet...

y/n: alright trent...who's most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse?

trent: eh... prob'ly dec, y'know 'cause 'e's dead stubborn innit...

...

y/n: what?

trent: dec

y/n: no, i got that bit

trent: i said 'e's dead stubb'rn

a voice behind camera: (incoherent)...need subtitles

trent: *laughs*, nah that's harsh that

@ judebellingham

dynamic duo🦁🦁👊

liked by: @ centralcee, @ ynln, @ sarahhh, @ marcusrashford +5.8M others

trentalexanderarnold: my boy❤️

⤷ ynln: damn sarah i wouldn't have that

sarahhh: wholesome content? from you?

⤷ judebellingham: shhh

rafecameron: decent.

⤷ judebellingham: thanks for the validation mate

⤷ rafecameron: shut up

nicomandueke: clean👏👏

bukayosaka: 48 takes for these photos btw

⤷ judebellingham: can u not

jjmaybank: bromance

⤷ judebellingham: ik u wish this was u

⤷ jjmaybank: 🙁🙁

Stars, Stripes & Three Lions

02. empire state of mind

series masterlist

@ ynln

next stop: america🇺🇸🦅

liked by: @ sarahhh, @ marcusrashford, @ england, @ bukayosaka +629K others

judebellingham: delete slide 3

⤷ ynln: no

bukayosaka: keep slide 3

⤷ ynln: gladly!🥰🥰

sarahhh: girl hurry that plane up i'm waiting🙄🙄

⤷ ynln: hurrying😰😰

@ judebellingham

world cup time.

liked by: @ sarahhh, @ ynln, @ trentalexanderarnold +5.3M others

ynln: riveting caption mate

⤷ judebellingham: thanks mate

sarahhh: wtf is that third photo...

⤷ judebellingham: what third photo😁...

@ sarahhh

see y'all soon🇺🇸🇺🇸

liked by: @ ynln, @ rafecameron, @ rhode, @ denise_bellingham +1.7M others

jjmaybank: stop saying y'all

⤷ sarahhh: why? y'all don't like it?😢

ynln: hurry up

⤷ sarahhh: hurrying😰😰

judebellingham: hurry up

⤷ sarahhh: not talking to u after ur post

⤷ ynln: LOLLOLOLOLOOL

⤷ judebellingham: not even that funny btw.

@ rafecameron

business trip.

liked by: @ usmnt, @ sarahhh, @ jbroutledge, @ bukayosaka +5M others

popeheyward: is ts tuff

⤷ rafecameron: ts very tuff gang

sarahhh: ur a footballer

⤷ rafecameron: exactly

⤷ sarahhh: thats not business

jjmaybank: 10 bands to kick a ball around btw😭✌️🥀

⤷ rafecameron: at least i deserve mine✌️✌️

⤷ sarahhh: dark

@ jjmaybank

america's finest🔥🔥🔥

liked by: @ rafecameron, @ usmnt, @ champagnepapi +3.1M others

popeheyward: we ❤️ duty free

⤷ rafecameron: didn't u guys lose ur wallets in hermes

⤷ jjmaybank: don't remind us ok

sarahhh: who's the hottie in slide 3😍😍😍

⤷ jjmaybank: that's me! tysm🥰🌷

a/n: had to cut it short bc of the photo limit but i'm making 03 rn!!

Stars, Stripes & Three Lions

01. London Calling

series masterlist

meet the lineup!

@ fifaworldcup

THE GROUP STAGE IS SET 🏆 #WorldCup2026

liked by: @ england, @ usmnt, @ neymarjr +8.7M others

england: See you on the other side of the pond!🦁🦁🦁

usmnt: 🦅🦅🦅

jjmaybank: why are there so many countries

⤷ popeheyward: Omg delete ts

sarahhh: this is going to be so fun😁😁😁

⤷ judebellingham: right...

⤷ ynln: what's that supposed to mean sarah...

⤷ sarahhh: 😁😁😁

it's coming home!!!...eventually

usmnt (unfortunately)

sarah + jude's chat

Minor Notes:

rafe and sarah aren't related in this au (but they are friends!)

sarah and jude bellingham are already dating when the au begins

sarah and y/n have been best friends since childhood

y/n and jude have been best friends for years

player positions, transfers, timelines, and tournament results have been altered for the plot

i'm only including england and usa matches bc they're relevant to the plot, other matches aren't

also i'm including certain players in the english team that aren't playing this year bc i miss them too much

no one is as professional as they should be lmfaoo

england and usa players are much closer than they realistically are