England are one of 48 nations heading to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™, with the 2017 champions eyeing a second title. Here, we look back at six stars who cut their teeth at the global finals.
Danny Welbeck – Korea Republic 2007
Welbeck joined the likes of Danny Rose and Victor Moses in John Peacock’s squad in Northeast Asia. After beginning the campaign on the bench, the Mancunian started the next three matches and claimed two assists in their 5-0 win over New Zealand. He was, however, unable to prevent a quarter-final defeat to Toni Kroos’ Germany.
Now 34, Welbeck is a Premier League veteran, having played more than 350 matches for Manchester United, Sunderland, Arsenal, Watford and Brighton. On the senior stage, he won 42 caps and netted 16 goals – only nine players have scored more for England in the 21st century.
Raheem Sterling – Mexico 2011
Electric winger Sterling was England’s star in Mexico, as the Three Lions once again fell to Germany in the last eight. He scored and assisted in a 2-0 win over Rwanda, while also finding the net in their last-16 victory against Argentina.
He was a senior international just over a year later, with Roy Hodgson handing the 17-year-old his bow in the famous 4-2 friendly defeat to Sweden. He’s gone on to earn 82 caps at the time of writing – good for 19th on the all-time list – while scoring 20 goals.
Jordan Pickford – Mexico 2011
Pickford suffered the highs and lows of life as a goalkeeper in Mexico. In their group-stage clash with Canada, he conceded an 87th-minute equaliser to opposite number Quillan Roberts – who became the first stopper to net at a FIFA football tournament – when his long kick bounced all the way in. He redeemed himself in the shootout win over Argentina, though, by saving two spot-kicks.
Only Peter Shilton can top Pickford’s 80 caps among goalkeepers, while Shilton and Joe Hart are the only stoppers to manage more than his 41 clean sheets across eight years of consistently excellent service
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Chile 2015
Alexander-Arnold played just once during a disappointing campaign in which England went winless and exited at the group phase in South America. After sitting out the draw with Guinea, the then-Liverpool man played the full 90 in midfield during a narrow loss to Brazil, and returned to the bench for another draw with Korea Republic.
Fast forward less than two years later and Alexander-Arnold, by then a right-back, was a Liverpool regular and would go on to play more than 350 times for his boyhood club, before moving to Real Madrid in 2025. A senior international debut came in June 2018, with the 27-year-old currently on 34 caps.
Phil Foden – India 2017
If 2015 marked England’s most disappointing tournament to date, 2017 was undoubtedly their greatest showing. Foden headlined a talented squad including the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi, Jadon Sancho and Morgan Gibbs-White. The Manchester City star bagged three goals, including a brace in their comeback 5-2 final win over Spain in Kolkata.
Foden has gone on to play more than 300 times for boyhood club Manchester City, while winning six Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League. On the international stage, he’s collected 45 caps and played at three major tournaments.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – Indonesia 2023
England took a talented squad to Southeast Asia which contained a number of now-familiar faces, with Arsenal star Lewis-Skelly arguably the pick of them. He played in all four of England’s matches as a sitting midfield and claimed an assist in the 10-0 rout of New Caledonia, as England fell at the Round of 16 to Uzbekistan.
He made his Arsenal debut nine months later and established himself as a first-team regular from left-back. His form caught the eye of new England boss Thomas Tuchel, who handed him his first cap in March of this year against Albania. The fairytale didn’t end there, as he marked the occasion with a goal in a 2-0 FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifying win.
