- Tuchel’s World Cup squad announcement triggers Canary nostalgia.
- Two modern Canaries stars anchor the historic 2026 World Cup slots.
- Legends from 1962 to 2026 complete this ultimate international lineup.
As Thomas Tuchel announces his 26-man England squad with the World Cup just weeks away, eyes turn from domestic to international football. Or at least they will after tomorrow.
While Sky Sports believes there is no life beyond the Premier League, there really is, and even “minnows” like Norwich City have representation at this summer’s tournament.
In fact, in our eyes, we have a rich, proud history of producing and hosting players who have shone on football’s grandest stage.
To celebrate the upcoming tournament, we look back through the generations to assemble Norwich City’s All-Time International World Cup XI, lined up in a classic 4-4-2.
Starting XI:
Goalkeeper
Bryan Gunn (Scotland) – Italy 1990 – City’s legendary shot-stopper made 477 appearances for the club. He was named in Scotland’s squad for Italia ’90 while playing for City, cementing his place as an all-time club icon.
Defenders
Martin Olsson (Sweden) – Russia 2018 – A quick, overlapping fullback who made over 100 appearances for Norwich. Played every single minute of Sweden’s impressive run to the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals.
Jose Cordoba (Panama) – USA/Canada/Mexico 2026 – One of those who shone under Philippe Clement, he earned his ticket to the World Cup as a key man for the Panamanian national team, and will be hoping to prove his class in the coming weeks.
Maurice Norman (England) – Chile 1962 – A towering defender who emerged from Norwich’s youth setup in the 1950s. He went on to earn 23 caps for England, famously starting all four matches at the 1962 World Cup.
Willie Donachie (Scotland) – 1974 & 1978 – A steady-Eddie reliable fullback who played for Scotland at two separate World Cup tournaments before bringing his defensive nous to Carrow Road in 1981. Wasn’t here long.
Midfielders
Martin Peters (England) – 1966 & 1970 – Legend. Famously scored in the 1966 World Cup Final to win it for England. He later became a Carrow Road legend, winning the club’s Player of the Season award twice in the late 1970s.
Kenny McLean (Scotland) – USA/Canada/Mexico 2026 – The “Mayor” needs no introduction. His consistency and tireless engine earned him a well-deserved spot in Steve Clarke’s 2026 Scotland World Cup squad. And, of course, there was ‘that’ goal.
Leroy Fer (Netherlands) – Brazil 2014 – Fer made history as an active Norwich player in 2014, memorably coming off the bench to score a crucial header for the Dutch national team against Chile.
Asa Hartford (Scotland) – 1978 & 1982 – Feisty. Hartford started all three games for Scotland at the 1978 World Cup and later won the 1985 Milk Cup with City.
Forwards
Robert Fleck (Scotland) – Italy 1990 – Another City legend. The best volley-er of the ball I’ve ever seen. A Hall of Famer, Flecky’s brilliant form for the Canaries saw him feature heavily for the Scots at Italia ’90.
Efan Ekoku (Nigeria) – USA 1994 – Powerful and quick, and the scorer of Norwich’s first-ever European goal. His exploits during our famous 1993/94 UEFA Cup run earned him a spot in Nigeria’s 1994 squad.
Substitutes’ bench:
- Josh Sargent (USA): Wholly undeserving of a place on the bench, but he did lead the line for the USMNT at Qatar 2022, starting group games against Wales and Iran.
- John O’Neill (Northern Ireland): Injured in his first-ever City game, but did represent his country at both the 1982 and 1986 World Cup finals.
- Anis Ben Slimane (Tunisia): Featured in all three group matches at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and will soon be en route to North America.
- Johan Elmander (Sweden): The former loan striker led the line for his country at the 2006 World Cup.
- Chris Woods (England): Legendary City shot-stopper was part of England’s squads at the 1986 and 1990 tournaments.
- Ali Ahmed (Canada): Our January arrival booked his ticket to represent co-hosts Canada with some lively performances here and, formerly, in Vancouver.
