West Ham United ‘won the World Cup’ – as the saying goes – when Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore inspired England to victory over Germany in 1966.
While the current crop would be hard pushed making a similarly history-defining impact on the biggest stage of all, six decades later, the Hammers could have twice as many representatives at the 2026 edition.
Six members of Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad may be present when the World Cup kicks off across the Atlantic.
Which West Ham star do YOU think will go the furthest at the World Cup? 🌎
Tomas Soucek [Czech Republic], El Hadji Malick Diouf [Senegal], Aaron Wan-Bissaka [DR Congo], Crysencio Summerville [Netherlands], Mateus Fernandes [Portugal] and West Ham United skipper Jarrod Bowen [England].
If all are selected for their respective nations, the Hammers will have more players at a World Cup than they ever have before.
West Ham United had five players at the 2022 World Cup
While Sir Geoff Hurst scored that infamous Wembley hat-trick in 1966 – Martin Peters also on the scoresheet as Bobby Moore became the first and so far only England captain to get his hands on the World Cup trophy – the globalisation of football means West Ham have a host of players from much more far-flung locations these days.
In both the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the 2010 tournament in South Africa, the Hammers had five representatives.
Declan Rice was part of the England side knocked out by Alphonse Areola’s France in the quarter-finals four years ago. Lucas Paqueta scored for Brazil, Nayef Aguerd helped Morocco become the first African nation to reach the last four, and Thilo Kehrer included in the Germany roster.
Twelve years prior, Rob Green infamously started England’s opening game of the tournament, spilling that Clint Dempsey shot into his own net.
Valon Behrami, Guillermo Franco and Jonathan Spector represented Switzerland, Mexico and the USA, while Matthew Upson was so dejected by England’s disastrous campaign that he believes it played a key role in West Ham’s relegation some ten months later.
Had Scott Parker and Benni McCarthy not been cut from the final England and South Africa squads, West Ham would have had seven players at the 2010 tournament.
As it is, should Bowen, Soucek, Diouf, Wan-Bissaka, Summerville and Fernandes all travel, the 2026 World Cup will be host the greatest-ever number of West Ham representatives.
Summerville touch-and-go for the FA Cup quarter-final! 🏆
Who would you pick to START vs Leeds?
Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville could travel
Of course, some are more secure in their spot than others.
Despite never playing a game for the senior Dutch side, Summerville is in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands plans though. The in-form winger would have been called up for the March friendlies, if not for a calf injury.
Mateus Fernandes made his Portugal debut a few days ago, but there is no shortage of competition in a star-studded Iberian midfield.
Jarrod Bowen, meanwhile, is England’s third-choice right-winger behind Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, but his experience could be enough to earn him a place under Thomas Tuchel.
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