England news

John Stones is facing a fight to save his international career after former Premier League defender Anton Ferdinand sensationally called for the Manchester City man to be axed from England's World Cup squad. The treble-winner has endured a nightmare period with fitness, leading to questions over whether he can still be trusted on the biggest stage.

Premier League history-maker James Milner has explained to GOAL why collective trophies won as part of “special” dressing rooms mean more to him than any personal accolades. The former Manchester City and Liverpool midfielder, who is now with Brighton, has been rewriting the English top-flight record books as an individual, but continues to take great pride in being a team player.

Chelsea wonderkid Estevao Willian has certainly made his loyalties known. In a light-hearted but revealing social media challenge put to him by GOAL, the teenage sensation was asked to pick between legendary figures of English and Brazilian football, and his answers were remarkably one-sided.

Former Chelsea and England youth star Carney Chukwuemeka has officially switched his international allegiance to Austria. Thriving in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, the 22-year-old earned his first senior call-up from Ralf Rangnick and could play a key role in the upcoming 2026 World Cup. He is now poised to make his senior international debut after being named in the 28-man squad for friendlies against Ghana and South Korea.

Thomas Tuchel will name his England squad for the March internationals on Friday, with the Three Lions reconvening for the final time before the end of the 2025-26 club season. This, effectively, will be the last chance for those on the fringes of the squad to impress without immediate fear of losing their World Cup place. But it will also be Tuchel's last opportunity to experiment with systems and players he thinks could help win the trophy.

Kyle Walker has ended his long and successful career with England, during which he earned 96 caps and played in five major tournaments. The veteran defender, who played in two European Championship finals, has now named the five best players he played with for the Three Lions. Walker chose a list that shows how well things have gone in the modern era under Gareth Southgate, even though he played with members of the "Golden Generation".

Umbro are testament to carving out your niche. The storied British brand may have lost ground to sportswear powerhouses like Nike and adidas in the modern era - a result of limited finances and a hostile market - but they remain undefeated as purveyors of pure English football nostalgia. Their new 'Home' collection for spring/summer 2026 is another reflection of that fact.

Thierry Henry has leapt to the defence of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, insisting his fellow Frenchman has been unfairly criticised in his career due to the high standards expected of him. Mbappe rose to stardom with AS Monaco before securing a nine-figure move to Paris Saint-Germain and winning the World Cup with France as a key starter while still a teenager. To date, Mbappe has scored 365 times in 460 club appearances, while he has also grabbed 55 goals in 94 caps for France, second to only Olivier Giroud in Les Bleus' all-time leading scorers list. Despite these many accolades, Mbappe has never won the Champions League as a player, and despite being tipped to take home many Ballon d'Or awards in an era after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's duopoly, he has yet to claim a Golden Ball for himself.

England captain Harry Kane has led the tributes to Kyle Walker after the veteran defender announced his retirement from international football. The 35-year-old Burnley full-back has decided to end his Three Lions career after earning 96 caps and representing his country at five major tournaments, spanning a 14-year period at the very highest level of the game.

After an illustrious international journey spanning 15 years, legendary defender Kyle Walker has officially announced his retirement from the England national team. The 35-year-old Burnley star leaves behind a remarkable legacy of 96 caps, having played a pivotal role in transforming the Three Lions' fortunes across five major tournaments and multiple historic finals.