With the Premier League season having come to its scheduled mid-season stop, the World Cup is only 2 days away from beginning when Qatar and Ecuador kick off the tournament on Sunday.
Many of David Moyes’ squad will be preparing for a well earned break after a packed schedule ahead of the World Cup, but a number of the players will be heading to the prestigious tournament this winter.
In this article, we will be running through which West Ham United players will be on the plane to Qatar, and what countries they will be representing.
Declan Rice - England
The midfielder will be heading to his second major tournament with the Three Lions, but it will be the West Ham skippers first World Cup as an England international. Rice has been one of the first names on the team sheet for England since his debut against Czech Republic in 2019, having earned 34 England caps, scoring 2 goals. Gareth Southgate’s side are one of the favourites for the upcoming World Cup after impressive runs in the last 2 major tournaments.
Alphonse Areola - France
West Ham’s shot stopper once again joins up with the France squad for a World Cup, as he was a part of the side that lifted the trophy in Russia back in 2018. France will be looking to repeat what happened in 2018 by winning the competition again in Qatar. Areola is likely to be the backup goalkeeper for France and Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris.
Lucas Paqueta - Brazil
The Hammers' record signing is set to play an important role in the Brazilian midfield, as the most successful country in World Cup history look to lift the trophy for the first time in 20 years. Paqueta has already tasted success in his 35 appearances for A Seleção, as he was part of the side that lifted the Copa America in 2019, and will hope he can help his country go all the way this winter.
Thilo Kehrer - Germany
Another one of the Hammers summer signings heading to the World Cup, the defender will be meeting up with the 4 time champions in Qatar. Just like Paqueta, Kehrer could also have an important role in this winter's World Cup, as he is the most selected player in Germany's lineups since Hansi Flick replaced Joachim Löw. The German national team will look to better their performance in the 2018 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stages.
Nayef Aguerd - Morocco
The final Hammer heading to the World Cup, Aguerd will be joining up with Morocco, as they prepare for a tough group against Belgium, Croatia and Canada. It is unsure how many minutes the centre back will play in Qatar, due to his lack of game time for West Ham since returning from an ankle injury which he suffered in a pre-season match against Rangers. Aguerd will join up with some big names such as PSG’s Achraf Hakimi and Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech.