The 2026 World Cup is quickly approaching and Newcastle United are bound to have several representatives at the tournament.
The game’s most adored and celebrated football tournament, the World Cup, will return in 2026, even if it will look a lot different.
Held across Mexico, Canada and the United States, it’ll be the first tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, which will completely change the tournament’s structure.
More teams will make it to the finals, though, with several success stories already unfolding with Cape Verde, Jordan and Uzbekistan reaching the World Cup for the first time ever.
28 teams have sealed their spots as of October, with an Anthony-Gordon-inspired England becoming the first European side to do so, while Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton’s Brazil were already well qualified.
Newcastle United will be hoping to have more representatives in North America, with Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw’s Germany and Sandro Tonali’s Italy likely to qualify.
Emil Krafth and Anthony Elanga’s Sweden, however, look set to miss out again.
Newcastle will add to their players who have played at a World Cup in 2026, with the tally currently sitting at 32.
Here’s the full list.
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Jackie Milburn & George Robledo – Brazil 1950
It wasn’t until the third edition of the World Cup in 1950 that Newcastle finally had their first representatives, though that’s understandable given no British nation played in one until then.
Yet, surprisingly, one of the representatives was actually from South America. Chile, to be precise.
George Robledo was born in Chile but moved to England when he was five and would play for Newcastle between 1949-1953, winning successive FA Cups (scoring the winner in the second final against Arsenal) and becoming the highest non-British or Irish goal scorer in the English top flight, a record that wasn’t broken for nearly 50 years until Dwight Yorke overtook him.
He played in the 1950 World Cup for Chile, despite not speaking Spanish, turning out against England in the opening game and scoring in a match against the USA.
However, he didn’t come up against Newcastle teammate Jackie Milburn in that opening match, as he wasn’t selected to play by the Three Lions. Newcastle legend Milburn’s only World Cup appearance came in a dead rubber defeat to Spain.
Ivor Broadis – Switzerland 1954
Former Newcastle forward Ivor Broadis is the scorer of perhaps the most notorious consolation goal in English history, notching in the infamous 7-1 defeat to Hungary in 1954.
It’s still England’s largest defeat ever and was the sequel to the ‘game of the century’ the previous year, when the Mighty Magyars won 6-3 at Wembley and changed the history of football tactics forever.
Broadis was the club’s only representative in the World Cup that came a month later, and he managed to score two goals in a thrilling 4-4 draw with Belgium.
His last game for England came in their 4-2 knock-out round defeat to Uruguay.
Alf McMichael, Dick Keith and Tommy Casey – Sweden 1958
Newcastle’s three representatives in the 1958 World Cup – Alf McMichael, Dick Keith and Tommy Casey – all played for Northern Ireland, who actually went further than England in the tournament.
While England failed to get out of a tough group including eventual winners Brazil and the Soviet Union, Northern Ireland advanced past Czechoslovakia and Argentina. However, they were hammered 4-0 by France in the first knock-out round.
David McCreery – Spain 1982
It would take five tournaments and 24 years before Newcastle next had a player at the World Cup, though several local lads did, with Sir Bobby Charlton, Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter all winning the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966.
It wasn’t until David McCreery was called up for Northern Ireland in 1982 did a Magpie play in the tournament again, however, and the midfielder was named in the All Star Select XI for his performances.
Peter Beardsley, David McCreery and Ian Stewart – Mexico 1986
McCreery would be back for Northern Ireland in 1986 and was joined by teammate Ian Stewart in the squad, while icon Peter Beardsley played for England.
Newcastle hero Sir Bobby Robson was the man in charge as England were heartbreaking eliminated by Diego Maradona, who dribbled past Beardsley on his way to scoring his second most famous goal in the game. Beardsley himself was the only England player not called Gary Lineker to score in the tournament.
Northern Ireland didn’t make it out of a tough group with Brazil, Spain and Algeria.
Roy Aitken – Italy 1990
Though Robson’s England squad at the iconic Italia ’90 tournament contained a host of Geordies and players associated with Newcastle, not least Paul Gascoigne, there wasn’t an actual player from the club in the squad.
Instead, the Toon’s only direct representative was Roy Aitken, who captained Scotland to an elimination at the group stage.
Alan Shearer, David Batty and Rob Lee – France 1998
Alan Shearer captained England to the 1998 World Cup and was joined by teammates David Batty and Rob Lee in the squad.
Shearer scored in the opening win over Tunisia but England would finish second behind Romania in their group, setting up a quarter-final with Argentina.
Shearer levelled from the spot early on after Gabriel Batistuta had also scored a penalty, before future Newcastle player Michael Owen scored his famous goal.
Argentina equalised and David Beckham was then infamously sent off, but England took the game to penalties. Shearer scored the opener, but Batty missed the decisive kick and England were out.
Kieron Dyer, Shay Given and Andy O’Brien – Japan & South Korea 2002
Kieron Dyer would be Newcastle’s only player in the England squad four years later, with Shearer being left at home due to fitness concerns.
England would make it to the quarter-finals again before being undone by Ronaldinho’s chip over David Seaman. Dyer came on as a substitute three times.
Meanwhile, Shay Given and Andy O’Brien were in a Republic of Ireland squad that was ripped apart by the feud between captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy due to the Saipan incident. The Irish made it to the last 16 but lost on penalties to Spain.
Michael Owen, Craig Moore and Jean Alain Boumsong – Germany 2006
No Newcastle player has ever won the World Cup but Jean Alain Boumsong came closest as he finished second for France after Zinedine Zidane was sent off in the final, though he didn’t play a single minute.
Owen was England’s leading striker, alongside Wayne Rooney, by 2006 but tore his ACL just 51 seconds into the final group stage game against Sweden. England were once again knocked out on penalties, this time to Portugal.
Craig Moore played for Australia alongside Mark Viduka, who moved to St. James’ Park a year later.
Jonas Gutierrez – South Africa 2010
Newcastle were back down to just one player in 2010, but it was a big one as cult hero Jonas Gutierrez played alongside Lionel Messi under the stewardship of Maradona.
Deployed at right-back, Gutierrez started the first two games as Argentina made a storming start, but he missed the third group stage match due to suspension and couldn’t get back in.
He came on off the bench in the closing stages of the controversial 3-1 win over Mexico, but didn’t get on as Germany mercilessly eliminated his nation in the quarter-finals 4-0.
Tim Krul, Cheick Tiote, Mathieu Debuchy, Moussa Sissoko, Loic Remy and Shola Ameobi – Brazil 2014
Newcastle had six players in Brazil in 2014, the most they’ve ever had at a single tournament – though there’s a chance that could change in 2026 – and none of them were for England.
Tim Krul got the furthest with the Netherlands coming third, and was famously brought on by Louis van Gaal for the penalty shoot-out win over Costa Rica.
French trio Mathieu Debuchy, Moussa Sissoko and Loic Remy – alongside Yohan Cabaye and Remy Cabella – were all in the France squad that was eliminated by winners Germany in the quarter-finals.
The French had knocked out Shola Ameobi’s Nigeria in the last 16, while Cheick Tiote’s Ivory Coast couldn’t make it out of the groups.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – Russia 2018
Back down to one, burly striker Aleksandar Mitrovic played for Serbia in 2018, scoring the opening goal in a feisty last-gasp defeat 2-1 to Switzerland. They didn’t get out of the group.
Bruno Guimaraes, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier & Callum Wilson – Qatar 2022
Newcastle finally had a strong presence in the England squad again last time out in Qatar.
Kieran Trippier started as a mainstay as he played in all three group games but was left on the bench for both knock-out rounds. Callum Wilson came on twice in the groups but was also unused afterwards, while Nick Pope understandably didn’t play before England were knocked out by France.
Guimaraes was used in a bit-part role in the 2022 World Cup, only coming off the bench twice before Brazil were defeated by Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals. He’s bound to be used more in 2026.
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