David Baddiel looks set to get a number one after a spike in streams and downloads of football anthem Three Lions, as England prepare for their first World Cup semi-final in nearly 30 years.

The football song, which he co-wrote with Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie and comedian Frank Skinner, has taken on a 30 per cent lead over its nearest chart rival, George Ezra's Shotgun, the Official Charts Company said.

Mr Baddiel recorded the song for the Euro '96 tournament, with Mr Skinner and Mr Broudie and England’s success in this year’s tournament has seen people singing its famous line: "football's coming home".

The song re-entered the top 40 last Friday and had a meteoric rise after England beat Sweden on Saturday to reach the semi-finals.

After that game, Three Lions topped the iTunes download chart and was streamed 701,000 times on Spotify.

Since last Friday the song has been downloaded 24,000 times and amassed 2.6 million audio streams, putting the song on course for a number one position.

Mr Baddiel told The Sun that when the song was written it was less about the idea England might win and more to do with the fact the tournament was being hosted in England.

"But now the song seems to mean only 'we might win', and as [last] week went on, and the jubilation rose, 'Yes, we are going to win',” he said.