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Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, El Hadji Malick Diouf and Mateus Fernandes are among the West Ham United players who could make their World Cup debuts in 2026.
Those four current-day Hammers stars have a long way to go, though, before they can even dream of matching the all-time record set by Sir Bobby Moore.
During three successive tournaments between 1962 and 1970, arguably West Ham United’s most iconic player featured in no fewer than 14 World Cup games while becoming England’s first – and so far only – trophy-lifting captain.
Who do YOU think will join this list in 2026? 🏆 🌎
Bowen? Summerville? Fernandes, maybe?
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The inimitable Pele even described Moore as ‘the greatest defender’ he had ever come against. If Moore is England’s best-ever centre-half, then Sir Geoff Hurst has a realistic shout at being the Three Lions’ greatest-ever centre-forward.
Sir Bobby Moore14Sir Geoff Hurst 9Martin Peters5Declan Rice5Most World Cup appearances for England while at West HamSir Bobby Moore tops the charts at West Ham United for World Cup appearances
Only Hurst and Kylian Mbappe have scored hat-tricks in a World Cup final. With nine, meanwhile, Hurst sits behind 1966 teammate Moore in West Ham’s list of all-time World Cup appearance makers.
Another Wembley hero, Martin Peters, made five. Sir Trevor Brooking’s story is a much sadder tale, however. His West Ham heyday coincided with England missing the 1974 and 1978 tournaments, while injury ended his 1982 campaign after only half an hour.
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Presuming he starts in all three group stage matches, as expected, Declan Rice will overtake Peters this summer across the Atlantic. Rice played five times as England reached the quarter-finals in 2022, a few months before becoming the most expensive domestic footballer of all time.
Javier Mascherano played 20 World Cup matches for Argentina, twice as many as former Hammers right-back Pablo Zabaleta. Enner Valencia is still going strong deep into his 30s.
Arguably Ecuador’s greatest-ever footballer averages a goal a game on the sport’s most iconic stage; six in six appearances.
Choose between club and country… 🤔
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