England's most eagerly awaited soccer fixture since 1990 was set to kick off today - and bring the country to a halt.

Millions of fans who have endured an eight-year wait since England's last appearance in the World Cup finals were expected to take the day off work or call in sick as Glenn Hoddle's side took on Tunisia in a lunchtime clash in Marseille.

Businesses were bracing themselves for an outbreak of absenteeism, and in London a 48-hour tube strike was giving workers an excuse to stay away.

Prime Minister Tony Blair last night interrupted preparations for today's European Union summit in Cardiff to telephone England manager Glenn Hoddle and pass on the nation's good wishes to the team.

The match, due to kick off at 1.30pm, and screened live on BBC1, was expected to draw a larger TV audience than Wednesday's curtain raiser, when 12 million viewers watched Brazil defeat Scotland 2-1. City centre pubs were preparing for brisk business, with offices emptying for an extended lunch break, and a number of employers were bringing in radio or television sets to allow workers to keep up with events in France.

The London Chamber of Commerce dubbed the day "Idle Monday" and said a combination of the football and the tube strike would cost businesses in the capital at least £35m.

Chief executive Simon Sperryn said: "We in business will be wishing England all the best but that does not mean firms should have to close down entirely for the afternoon. This is England's first match and there is hopefully a long way for the team to go in the tournament so it would be ridiculous to give England fans time off every time we play."

The 60,000-strong crowd at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille was expected to include at least 10,000 Tunisians, many of whom are based in the southern French city.

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