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Across more than 150 years of international football, the Three Lions have fielded thousands of players, but only 10 have ever reached 100 caps for the nation. With the World Cup Odds already being shaped by who England bring to North America this summer, the players who built the foundations of that international programme are worth revisiting. Becoming a centurion for any nation requires durability to stay fit across a decade or more, as well as the consistency to hold off competition for a place in the squad.
Here is a look at every player who has crossed that threshold.
Billy Wright – 105 caps
When Billy Wright won his 100th cap in April 1959, in a 1-0 win over Scotland, he was not just England’s first centurion but the first player in the history of international football to reach the milestone. He captained England 90 times and appeared at three consecutive World Cups from 1950 to 1958, spent his entire club career at Wolverhampton Wanderers, making 490 appearances, and finished second in the 1957 Ballon d’Or behind Alfredo Di Stefano.
Bobby Charlton – 106 caps
Sir Bobby Charlton won the World Cup in 1966 and the Ballon d’Or in the same year, scoring 49 goals across 106 England appearances in a career that ran from April 1958 to June 1970. That goals record stood for 45 years until Rooney passed it in 2015, and he was booked just twice in an England shirt across his entire career.
Frank Lampard – 106 caps
Frank Lampard won his 100th cap against Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier in September 2013 and finished with 29 goals across 106 appearances. His international career is anchored to a single moment at the 2010 World Cup, when his shot against Germany crossed the line by over a foot and was not given. England lost 4-1 and were eliminated. His final cap came against Costa Rica on 24 June 2014.
Ashley Cole – 107 caps
Ashley Cole went to three World Cups and three European Championships for England and won the Player of the Year award in 2010. His 100th cap came against Brazil at Wembley in February 2013, almost 12 years after his debut against Albania in March 2001. He is England’s most capped male full-back of all time and holds the record for most England appearances without scoring, finishing on 107 caps and one goal.
Bobby Moore – 108 caps
Bobby Moore reached 100 England caps faster than any player before or since, doing so in just under 11 years, and no one has managed it faster in the 50 years since. He captained England to World Cup glory at Wembley in 1966 and jointly holds the record for most appearances as captain with Billy Wright, both men leading the side 90 times. Moore retired just four months after winning his 100th cap, finishing on 108.
Harry Kane – 112 caps and counting
When Harry Kane scored six goals at the 2018 World Cup in Russia to win the Golden Boot, he became the first England player to win the award since Gary Lineker in 1986. He has since become England’s all-time leading scorer with 78 goals across 112 appearances and won his 100th cap against Finland in a Nations League match at Wembley on 10 September 2024. At 31, Rooney’s outfield record of 120 caps is well within reach.
Steven Gerrard – 114 caps
All 114 of Steven Gerrard’s England appearances came while he was a Liverpool player, more than any other player with a single club in England’s history. He won his 100th cap against Sweden in November 2012, scored 21 goals across his career, and appeared at three World Cups and three European Championships. A fourth World Cup in 2002 was taken from him by a groin injury before the tournament began.
David Beckham – 115 caps
The free kick David Beckham scored against Greece in October 2001 sealed qualification for the 2002 World Cup with the last meaningful kick of the game. He went on to captain the side 59 times, scored in three separate World Cups, the first England player to do so, and won his 100th cap against France in Paris in March 2008. Beckham played his final international in June 2009, 13 years after his debut.
Wayne Rooney – 120 caps
At 17 years and 111 days old, Wayne Rooney was the youngest player to represent England at senior level when he won his first cap in February 2003. His 100th appearance came on 15 November 2014 against Slovenia in a Euro 2016 qualifier at Wembley, where he scored a penalty in a 3-1 win. He finished with 120 caps, 53 goals, and four England Player of the Year awards, more than any other player in history.
Peter Shilton – 125 caps
No England player has won more caps than Peter Shilton. His international career ran from 1970 to 1990, spanning five major tournaments and three World Cups, and he played his final match in the third-place play-off against Italy in Turin. He won his 100th cap against the Netherlands at Euro 1988, a match England lost 3-1, and across those 125 appearances, kept 66 clean sheets and played 17 matches at World Cup finals, a record for an England goalkeeper.