Arsenal become fourth football club to surpass 1,000 England caps

Arsenal have surpassed 1,000 England international caps earned by players while representing the club, following the Three Lions’ 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway.

Declan Rice and Noni Madueke started the match, while Bukayo Saka and Ebere Eze came on at half-time as England secured a place in the semi-finals.

Their appearances took Arsenal’s total to 1,002 England caps accumulated by players during their time at the north London club.

According to Arsenal on its 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 release was titled, “Arsenal’s England stars hit 1,000 cap landmark.”

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, making 87 appearances for the Three Lions while at the club. He represented England at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups and the 1988 European Championship.

Among current players, Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s fourth most-capped England international with 55 appearances, behind Sansom (87), David Seaman (72) and Tony Adams (66).

Saka also holds the club record for the most England goals scored by an Arsenal player, with 14, surpassing Cliff Bastin’s tally of 12.

Overall, 34 of Arsenal’s 73 England internationals have scored a combined 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 noted that 12 players earned just one England cap while at Arsenal, with Eddie Nketiah the most recent 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.

Ted Drake holds the best goals-per-game ratio among Arsenal’s England internationals, scoring six goals in five appearances during the 1930s, including a hat-trick against Hungary at Highbury