Three Lions continues to lead this week's Official Singles Chart ahead of England's World Cup semi-final against Croatia

As England gears up for its first semi-final World Cup match in 28 years tonight, OfficialCharts.com can reveal that Three Lions remains on course to return to Number 1 on this week's Official Singles Chart.

The 1996 football anthem by Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds has a lead of 5,000 on today's sales flash, as the nation hopes to bring it home for the first time in over 50 years. 

It could mean Three Lions will enjoy a rarely-seen fourth spell at Number 1 on the Official Chart, 22 years after it first reached the top spot in the summer of 1996. Check out more football anthems that scored big on the Official Chart here.

The song is one of the UK's best-selling singles of all time, with the 1996 and re-worked 1998 versions combined having sold over 1.6 million.

But Three Lions is far from home and dry yet. Whether it gets to Number 1 could very much depend on how England perform in tonight's semi-final against Croatia. The World Cup final - and a Number 1 single - are in the England team's hands. No pressure.

The only place to find out where it finishes at the final whistle – and whether it will be the UK’s Official Number 1 single once again - will be this Friday on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart with Scott Mills. Check out the full Top 100 on OfficialCharts.com.

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