England sets historic record for foreign-based players in official match
In the Nations League match against the Czech Republic, five England players representing clubs outside of England took the field.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Author: Антон Зайцев
The England national team secured a 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic in their second UEFA Nations League match, setting a unique historic record in the process. Thomas Tuchel’s side featured five players representing foreign clubs throughout the game.
According to Opta, this is the first time in England's history that five foreign-based players have participated in a single official international fixture. The group includes Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid, Trevoh Chalobah from Como, Anthony Gordon from Barcelona, and Harry Kane from Bayern Munich. Four of them started the match, while Bellingham entered the pitch after the break, replacing Kane in the 71st minute.
The foreign-based contingent was instrumental in the result. Gordon opened the scoring in the 47th minute from an Alexander-Arnold assist, and Kane doubled the lead in the 69th minute. Another player from an overseas league, Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah, was in the matchday squad but remained on the bench.
This win marks England’s first victory in the current Nations League campaign. The team has now collected three points and sits in second place in League A, Group 3.