Arsenal have become only the fourth club to record more than 1,000 England international caps earned by players while representing the Gunners, following the Three Lions’ 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final win over Norway.
Declan Rice and Noni Madueke were named in the starting line-up, while Bukayo Saka and Ebere Eze came off the bench at half-time as England advanced to the World Cup semi-finals.
Their appearances increased Arsenal’s tally to 1,002 England caps won by players during their spell at the north London club.
According to a statement published on Arsenal’s website on Monday, “73 players have contributed to the milestone since goalkeeper Jimmy Ashcroft became the club’s first England international in 1906. Madueke and Eze are the latest Arsenal players to earn England caps after making their debuts in September 2025.”
The statement, titled “Arsenal’s England stars hit 1,000 cap landmark,” noted that Arsenal are the “fourth club to reach the 1,000-cap mark for England internationals, behind Manchester United (1,423), Liverpool (1,209) and Tottenham Hotspur (1,062).”
Former midfielder Kenny Sansom remains Arsenal’s most-capped England international, having made 87 appearances for the Three Lions during his time at the club. He featured for England at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 1988 European Championship.
Among the current squad, Saka ranks fourth on Arsenal’s all-time list of England appearances with 55 caps, trailing only Sansom (87), David Seaman (72) and Tony Adams (66).
The winger also holds the record for the most England goals scored by an Arsenal player, with 14, overtaking Cliff Bastin’s previous tally of 12.
In total, 34 of Arsenal’s 73 England internationals have scored 116 goals for the national team.
“Our most-capped England international is Kenny Sanson, who represented the Three Lions 87 times during his time as a Gunner. He was selected for the 1982 and 1986 World Cups, playing in the infamous Hand of God game against Argentina in the quarter-finals, while he was still first choice for Euro 88, when he made his final international appearance.
“Only David Seaman (72) and Tony Adams (66) have won more caps for England throughout their N5 tenures than Bukayo, who is now up to 55, having surpassed Ashley Cole during the tournament – the only other player to complete a half-century of appearances,” the club statement read.
The club also revealed that 12 Arsenal players have earned only one England cap while at the club, with Eddie Nketiah the latest after featuring against Australia in October 2023.
“Francis Jeffers remains the only Arsenal player to score in every England appearance for the club, netting in his lone international outing against Australia in 2003,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ted Drake boasts the best goals-per-game record among Arsenal’s England internationals, scoring six goals in just five appearances during the 1930s, including a hat-trick against Hungary at Highbury.
