France's all-time leading goalscorer Thierry Henry said "the whole world will be French" when England play Les Bleus at Wembley Stadium in an international friendly on Tuesday night.
Henry grew up in Paris, where terrorists killed 129 people in a series of coordinated attacks just four days ago.
He wrote in his column for The Sun that he expects fans to band together.
"When the Twin Towers were attacked on 9/11, everyone felt American. When London was devastated by the Tube attacks in 2005, we all became British. Tonight at Wembley, the whole world will be French," the former Arsenal great wrote. "Friday's Paris atrocities have united people from every part of the planet. That solidarity will be on show for everyone to see this evening."
England fans will be encouraged to join their French counterparts in singing La Marseillaise at Wembley and the stadium's famous arch is lit up with the tricolore in solidarity.
"Who wins and who plays well won't matter at all. It is all about showing the terrorists that we remain strong and united," Henry wrote.
#INSERT type:image caption:Thierry Henry encouraged a show of solidarity at the England-France friendly. END#
Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William are expected to be in attendance and police in London promise a robust presence to reassure the public.
The match has been the subject of concern because the targets in Paris included Stade de France, where tens of thousands were watching Germany play France. Scotland Yard says armed police officers will be visible -- unusual in a country where many officers don't carry guns.
The lyrics of the French national anthem will be displayed on the big screens so that all fans can join in the singing.
Wembley's giant arch will shine in red, white and blue while the French flag and national slogan of 'Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite' will be shown displayed on LED screens on Wembley Way.
There will be a minute's silence before kickoff and both teams will wear black armbands to remember the victims of Friday's attacks.
The 38-year-old Henry remembered Arsenal's Champions League match after the attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.
"I will never forget that Arsenal were ordered to play their Champions League game against Real Mallorca just five hours after the Twin Towers had collapsed in New York. It was the only time in my career that we lost and I didn't care," he said. "We played because we had to but while I was physically on the pitch, mentally I was on the other side of the Atlantic with all those people suffering in America.
"We flew back to London that night when all other planes had been grounded and nobody was even thinking about the result of the match we had just played.
"It will be the same feeling tonight."