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alvis limPlayers from England who have played in the most FIFA World Cup games
The history of England’s participation in the FIFA World Cup is extremely extensive and illustrious. To put it another way, in terms of their 15 participations up to this point.
However, despite this, their overall haul of *checks notes* one tournament victory is more than that of the majority of nations, and the players who have represented the Three Lions on the international arena are among some of the best who have ever played the game.
Here is a list of the 10 English players who have participated in the most games for their country during World Cup tournaments.
10. Chris Waddle
World Cup Matches: 11
World Cup participations: 1986, 1990
Total England caps: 62
Chris Waddle, a legend who played for both Newcastle and Tottenham, is the only player in England’s history to have participated in precisely 11 World Cups. However, we are certain that many players now on England’s roster will equal or perhaps surpass Waddle’s record.
9. Gary Lineker
World Cup Matches: 12
World Cup participations: 1986, 1990
Total England caps: 80
Gary Lineker, the current broadcaster of Match of the Day and a renowned expert on crisps, used to be a very excellent football player in his younger days. Even though he had an accident in which he defecated himself during one of those World Cup matches, he still managed to participate in a total of 12 matches in those tournaments. However, it is unclear if one of those matches truly counts.
8. Michael Owen
World Cup Matches: 12
World Cup participations: 1998, 2002, 2006
Total England caps: 89
In an alternate timeline, Michael Owen would have finished his career with England holding both the record for most appearances and most goals scored by an England player. His playing career was cut short by injuries, but he was still able to make a fair contribution to the Three Lions despite those setbacks.
7. Steven Gerrard
World Cup Matches: 12
World Cup participations: 2006, 2010, 2014
Total England caps: 114
Stevie Gerrard is one of the few players who have played for both Sven-Goran Eriksson’s teams known as the “golden generation” and Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson’s squads known as the “band of misfits.” Congratulations to him!
6. David Beckham
World Cup Matches: 13
World Cup participations: 1998, 2002, 2006
Total England caps: 114
On this list of players, David Beckham is the only one to have been sent a red card at any point during the World Cup. He is also the only player on this list to have made exactly 13 appearances for England in World Cup tournaments. However, at least he has recovered from that setback.
5. Bobby Moore
World Cup Matches: 14
World Cup participations: 1962, 1966, 1970
Total England caps: 108
The ONE AND ONLY English player to ever win the World Cup while serving as captain.
4. Ashley Cole
World Cup Matches: 14
World Cup participations: 2002, 2006, 2010
Total England caps: 107
In the 2000s, England did not exactly have an abundance of left-backs, but they did have one of the few players of world-class caliber in that position, and that player was Ashley Cole. This provided England with some kind of edge at the very least.
3. Terry Butcher
World Cup Matches: 14
World Cup participations: 1982, 1986, 1990
Total England caps: 77
Although Terry Butcher was a mainstay in England’s teams throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, this inclusion comes as somewhat of a surprise given that he is the player on our list with the second-fewest number of appearances for England.
2. Sir Bobby Charlton
World Cup Matches: 14
World Cup participations: 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970
Total England caps: 106
Sir Bobby Charlton, you’ve competed in the World Cup four times, right? Four? That’s just ridiculous.
The legendary player for Manchester United did not appear in any games in 1958, although he was included in Walter Winterbottom’s squad only a few short months after the Munich air tragedy. That is an indication of how talented he was.
1. Peter Shilton
World Cup Matches: 17
World Cup participations: 1982, 1986, 1990
Total England caps: 125
The player with the most appearances for England in their history. The player who has competed for the Three Lions in the most World Cup matches to date. Even if Peter Shilton currently spends his time engaging in heated debates on Twitter, there is no denying that he was without a doubt one of the best football players our nation has ever produced.
