I’ve heard that there is some sort of big football tournament due to happen across the pond in the summer of 2026. It’s a tournament that as a Welshman has passed me by in the past and no doubt in the future. It is very unlikely that Wales will qualify and I’ve heard that the Scots have done just that but all bets are off of them getting out of their group.
Yes I have just a passing interest in this tournament but it wasn’t always so. My apathy may have originated when the corruption at FIFA was evident to us all but despite this, we ended up with World Cups in the Middle East and in Russia. The corruption may now have, at least on the surface, ended but the money men are still making money in legal ways.
The expansion of the World Cup is to me a ludicrous decision, soon I fear it will go the way of the European Cup with mediocre after mediocre teams qualifying. And don’t even get me started on shared host nations. You can’t tell me that the US of A, having got enough stadiums, had to go cap in hand with Canada and Mexico to co-host. No it’s all about money. But will I watch it? Well if it’s a choice between watching cricket or the odd football game, it’s a no brainier. Mind you cricket does stop for tea rather than an over priced player rolling all over the floor just because an opposition player blew on him.
The West Ham Connection: Hopes for a Healthy Return
But what has this rant got to do with West Ham? Well it is expected that a few of our players just may be over there and hopefully will not be doing a Dean Ashton and will come home healthy and successful after international duty.
With homegrown Hammers the list isn’t exactly extensive. Gone are the days where the likes of Cole, Carrick, Lampard, Rio, Ince, and Defoe represented the Hammers albeit they all had moved away before regularly representing their country but they were academy graduates.
The Talisman’s Struggle: Bowen vs. The “Big Six” Bias
We do have one England-born player that should be a shoe-in for a trip across the Atlantic but could be in danger of missing out for being a Hammer. That player is, of course, Jarrod Bowen. It’s no surprise that Bowen is our talisman. When he is on fire the team is too. He is, in my eyes, by far our best player.
He may not have the skills of Paqueta but he is the beating heart of the club. The problem though is that he is a big fish in a little pond. He is in danger of being overlooked. It seems that Thomas Tuchel prefers a player from a big named team. This means Bowen has to excel in every game which is not easy when you play for a team flirting with relegation. It also doesn’t help that the likes of Foden, Saka and even Sterling are ahead of him in the England managers’ thoughts when thinking about who to play in that attacking midfield role. One area that could help Jarrod is his goal scoring prowess. If he can find ways to being regularly on the score sheet that just may raise his presence in the England manager’s mind.
The Number Nine: Can Callum Wilson Offer a Solution?
This brings me to the only other English West Ham player that could possibly make that World cup squad. Callum Wilson is a proven goal scorer. His recent two goals in the away game at Bournemouth is testimony to that. Age and playing time is an issue.
It seems an odd decision by Nuno to take Wilson off after less than an hour against Bournemouth, no doubt it was an aim to strengthen the midfield and hold that two goal lead but it didn’t work out and our striker who was on for a hat trick sat in the stands. Harry Kane will need a back up and just maybe Wilson is the answer. Ahead of him though is probably Danny Welbeck. Welbeck has a great work rate, has tournament experience and can play in a variety of positions but unlike Wilson, is not a pure goal scorer. Callum, for me, is the better option but he needs to be seen and needs games and of course goals to be in the reckoning.
Global Hammers: From the DR Congo to the Maracanã
Other than Bowen and Wilson I cannot see any other West Ham-based player having a chance of a summer tournament and sadly I believe both are long shots. I believe we will have to look further afield and to other nations to find a West Ham player that just maybe light up next year’s tournament.
With World Cup qualification not completely over, out of the African nations who have qualified for next year‘s World Cup, there are players from West Ham that are in the mix that may not go. The first one that comes to mind is Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Aaron recently switched his national allegiance from England to the Democratic Republic of Congo however the African side still has to face Togo and Sudan in the coming weeks to stand any chance of making it to North America. But if they win through he could just be his country’s standout player.
Another African player whose country has already qualified is El Hadji Malick Douf. The Senegal international has proven how dangerous and effective he can be down the left flank and will want to shine at next year‘s competition. Looking away from the African nations and into Europe, Scotland Andy Irving could be there representing his country. After Irving it seems only Tomas Soucek stands out as a possible starter with Czechia. The only problem is that they have to go through a tough qualifying round. However, if they do get through, I can see Tomas standing out.
The Brazilian Question and the Next Generation
That leaves us with our Brazilian international. Will he grab a squad place? It’s fair to say that Lucas Paqueta has all the talent to start for Brazil. The question is can he make the cut and so this is an extremely important season for him. There is one final player that may make an impact next year if he gets game time this season. Mateus Fernandes has already played around 18 times and was the captain of the Portuguese side under 21 level. He could really be the one to watch.
But I have a feeling that as West Ham supporters, we might struggle next year to cheer on our players, but who knows? There might just be a few surprises.
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