The England U18 side, managed by Will Antwi, will take part in the UEFA Friendship Cup during the first international break of the 2026–27 season. The competition, organised by UEFA at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, brings together eight nations and will guarantee the Young Lions at least four fixtures.
England will begin their campaign against Colombia on Thursday, 24 September at 5pm, before taking on Egypt on Sunday, 27 September at 2pm. The Young Lions will then round off the group stage against South Korea on Wednesday, 30 September at 10am. A fourth and final placement fixture will take place on 3 October, with the opposition and kick-off time to be confirmed once the group-stage standings have been determined.
A 22-Man Squad Named
Will Antwi has selected a 22-man squad for the tournament in Switzerland. The group features a number of promising youngsters from the academies of English clubs, with Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur particularly well represented.
The squad also includes one player receiving his first-ever England call-up in Phoenix Offiah of Tottenham Hotspur. More broadly, this U18 generation provides an opportunity for a number of players to continue their development on the international stage.
In attack, Jeremy Monga, who is currently on loan at Swansea City from Manchester City, is one of the players to keep an eye on, alongside Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, who is at Portsmouth on loan from Chelsea.
The squad also includes Tyrese Noubissie, who has been called up by the France U18 side as well. The midfielder will therefore have a decision to make regarding his international future.
The Young Lions will have four fixtures in which to test themselves against opposition from a variety of footballing backgrounds. Following their encounters with Colombia, Egypt and South Korea, they will play a final placement match on 3 October, with the identity of their opponents determined by the results of the opening three fixtures.
England U18 Squad
Goalkeepers
- Roman Dowell (Newcastle United)
- Ben Vickery (Manchester City)
Defenders
- Marlow Barrett (Manchester City)
- Calvin Diakite (Chelsea)
- Jacob Howard (Leeds United)
- Freddie Lawrie (Manchester City)
- Marli Salmon (Arsenal)
- Oscar Sandiford (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Jake Wain (Manchester City)
Midfielders
- Sam Alabi (Newcastle United)
- Samuel Alker (Leeds United)
- Hugo De Lisle (Leicester City)
- Erik Farkas (Liverpool)
- Max Little (Southampton)
- Tyrese Noubissie (RC Strasbourg)
Forwards
- Joel Drakes-Thomas (Crystal Palace)
- Jashayde Greenwood (Chelsea)
- Ryan Kavuma-McQueen (Portsmouth, on loan from Chelsea)
- Michael Mills (Newcastle United)
- Jeremy Monga (Swansea City, on loan from Manchester City)
- Phoenix Offiah (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Kyran Thompson (Newcastle United)
