With the World Cup launching later today, and Sunderland AFC being one of the most represented clubs in the world at this summer’s tournament, supporters will have plenty of interest in the fortunes of our lads. Their involvement will add another chapter to a rich international history at the club, one that spans generations and stretches back to the earliest editions of the competition.
Ahead of the world’s premier football event, we take a look at the Sunderland players who have featured at the World
Cup while wearing the red and white stripes of Sunderland AFC.
50’s and 60’s
England’s first World Cup appearance came in 1950, marking the first time a Sunderland player featured on football’s biggest stage. That honour belonged to Willie Watson, a wing-half who was also a distinguished cricketer, earning 23 Test caps for England.
Watson won four England caps in total, although he did not feature during the tournament itself as England exited at the group stage.
Sunderland’s next World Cup representative arrived 12 years later in the form of club legend Stan Anderson. The midfielder made more than 400 appearances for the club between 1952 and 1963 and remains the only player to have played for and captained Sunderland, Middlesbrough and the Visitors up the road.
Like Watson before him, Anderson did not make an appearance at the tournament. England, featuring a young Bobby Moore, reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by a Brazil side inspired by Garrincha and Pelé.
Lack of Representation
After Stan Anderson’s involvement (or lack thereof) at the 1962 World Cup, Sunderland had to wait another 40 years before one of their own was selected for football’s biggest stage, with the next call-up not arriving until 2002.
That said, the intervening years were not short of players with Sunderland connections, many of whom joined the club later in their careers.
Former manager Peter Reid represented England at the 1986 World Cup, witnessing both the brilliance and controversy of Diego Maradona as Argentina eliminated England in the quarter-finals thanks to the ‘Goal of the Century’ and the infamous ‘Hand of God’.
Elsewhere, Glenn Hysén, father of former Sunderland striker Tobias Hysén, featured for Sweden at Italia ’90, while future Sunderland defender Thomas Helmer represented Germany at both the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
No list of Sunderland-linked World Cup players would be complete without Roy Keane, who played for Ireland in 1994 and was later at the centre of the infamous Saipan Incident with future Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy ahead of the 2002 tournament.
Other Sunderland-connected players to appear at World Cups during this period include former captain Gary Breen for Ireland in 2002, as well as Trinidad and Tobago quartet Dwight Yorke, Kenwyne Jones, Carlos Edwards and Stern John, who famously faced England at the 2006 World Cup.
2002 – 2010
The 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea saw Sunderland achieve its largest-ever representation at the tournament up to that point, with six players selected by their national teams.
The figure reflected the club’s success in the preceding years, having secured back-to-back seventh-place Premier League finishes in 2000 and 2001.
Thomas Sørensen travelled as Denmark’s first-choice goalkeeper and helped his side reach the Last 16. Claudio Reyna featured for the United States as they recorded their best-ever World Cup finish by reaching the quarter-finals, while Patrick M’Boma represented Cameroon alongside Samuel Eto’o, although the Indomitable Lions exited at the group stage.
M’Boma did find the net against an Ireland side packed with Sunderland connections. Future promotion-winning captain Gary Breen was joined by current Sunderland players Jason McAteer, Kevin Kilbane and Niall Quinn, as Ireland progressed to the Last 16 before losing to Spain on penalties.
Eight years later, South Africa became the first African nation to host a World Cup. Sunderland had just two representatives at the tournament, with Paraguay captain Paolo da Silva and future Sunderland midfielder Cristian Riveros helping their country achieve its best-ever World Cup finish.
Paraguay reached the quarter-finals before falling to eventual champions Spain.
Sunderland’s other representative was Ghana captain John Mensah, who was joined by future Black Cats Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan. Ghana matched Paraguay’s quarter-final run and came within a kick of becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals.
However, after Luis Suárez’s infamous goal-line handball in extra time, Gyan struck the resulting penalty against the crossbar and Uruguay eventually prevailed in the shootout.
2014 – 2022
As Sunderland AFC entered some of the darker periods in its history, World Cup representation became increasingly limited.
At Brazil 2014, ‘striker’ Jozy Altidore’s tournament was cut short by injury in the USA’s opening group game, though the USMNT reached the Last 16. Meanwhile, loanee Ki Sung-yueng featured for South Korea, whose campaign ended at the group stage after finishing bottom of their group.
Four years later, Bryan Oviedo was Sunderland’s sole representative at Russia 2018, playing in two of Costa Rica’s three group matches as Los Ticos were eliminated early.
Oviedo returned for Qatar 2022 alongside new Sunderland signing Jewison Bennette. Both featured in all three of Costa Rica’s group games but were unable to prevent another group-stage exit.
Australia’s Bailey Wright also represented Sunderland in Qatar, making one appearance in a 1 – 0 win over Denmark. The Socceroos reached the Last 16 before being knocked out by eventual champions Argentina, inspired by Lionel Messi.
2026
And that brings us to the present day, with 12 Sunderland AFC players heading to the USA, Canada and Mexico for the biggest World Cup in history.
The Black Cats are among the world’s most represented clubs at the tournament, reflecting both the club’s recent success and the remarkable season these players have enjoyed.
Captain Granit Xhaka will lead Switzerland as they aim to finally break through the quarter-final barrier. Wilson Isidor and Chemsdine Talbi will represent Haiti and Morocco respectively, with both nations set to face Scotland and Brazil, as well as each other, in the group stage.
Nilson Angulo will come up against Simon Adingra and fan-favourite loanee Amad Diallo when Ecuador face Ivory Coast, while Omar Alderete will be tasked with leading Paraguay’s defence as they target a place in the knockout rounds.
Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki will represent Senegal and DR Congo, hoping to bring success to Africa, while Sunderland’s Dutch contingent of Robin Roefs, Brian Brobbey and late call-up Lutsharel Geertruida are set for their first World Cup appearances with the Netherlands.
Good luck to all Sunderland players travelling to North America this summer. There is no doubt they will represent both club and country with pride.
And, of course, best wishes also go to Sunderland academy graduates Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford as they look to help bring football home for the first time since 1966.
