With Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and El Hadji Malick Diouf helping England, Brazil and Senegal secure their spots, there will be at least a handful of West Ham United representatives at next summer’s World Cup.
And that is before you think about the upcoming qualifiers.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be at the World Cup with DR Congo, should they beat either Jamaica or New Caledonia – currently ranked 149th between Yemen and Guyana in the FIFA Rankings – in the spring.
Callum Marshall and former Hammers starlet Patrick Kelly could travel to the USA as well. That is as long as Northern Ireland stun perennial underachievers Italy. And while Tomas Soucek was stripped of the captain’s armband by the Czech FA in November, he too still hopes to lead his country out on football’s biggest stage.
These West Ham players are on their way to the WORLD CUP! 🌎
But who do you predict will go the furthest?
DR Congo, the nation formerly known as Zaire, have never featured at a World Cup under their current guise. Suriname would be another newcomer in an expanded, 48-team tournament. That is providing they can see off Bolivia and then Iran in the Inter-Confederation play-offs in March.
If Hen ten Cate’s side do achieve such a feat, West Ham United may have another representative doing his country proud across the Atlantic in the shape of Crysencio Summerville.
Henk ten Cate hopes to convince West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville
Wan-Bissaka switched his international allegiance from England to DR Congo in August.
Should Summerville do the same, he has never been capped for the senior Dutch national team, then Ten Cate would only be too happy to welcome him aboard.
“We’re working hard on [convincing Summerville to represent Suriname],” the former Barcelona and Ajax coach, who is also hoping to win over Leeds striker Joel Piroe and Union Berlin defender Danilho Doekhi, tells NOS.
“It’s a huge boost in quality if we succeed, and it increases our chances enormously. [These three] play at the highest level, in the better leagues in Europe. That will give the team such a huge boost.
“Curacao [under ex-Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat] qualified through sheer willpower and teamwork, setting a good example. We should be able to do the same.”
Summerville played for the Netherlands at youth level but could switch to Suriname
Rotterdam-born and a graduate of the Feyenoord academy, Summerville, who is likely to start when West Ham face Man City on Saturday, has not ruled out representing the country of his forebears.
“It would be great if we could make the Netherlands proud,” adds Ten Cate. “With Curacao, Cape Verde, the Dutch national team, and perhaps us [at next summer’s World Cup], there are a lot of footballers at the World Cup who were trained in the Netherlands.
“That says a lot about the Netherlands as a football nation.”
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“My Dad’s Mum still lives over in Suriname. I have a lot of family still over there, such as aunties, uncles and cousins, and whenever I get chance, I try to visit,” Summerville told the official West Ham website recently.
“I’m very proud of my Surinamese heritage. I love the food and the people there, and as soon as you step off the plane, things feel different. I can’t really describe it!”
Right now, though, the £30 million signing from Leeds is focusing on the club game. Specifically, on ending a worrying goal drought.
Crysencio Summerville has not scored a Premier League goal all season. In fact, the last time he found the net was in that controversial 2-1 win over Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United in October 2024.
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