There are 26 players from the Championship who are taking part in the World Cup this winter, the equivalent of an entire squad.
England’s second tier has long been popular for its ferocious nature and how it serves as the perfect arena to aid players in their preparation to play in top leagues such as the Premier League and beyond.
The Championship has been growing over recent years and we can see that now in the 26 stars being called up to represent their respective nations in football’s greatest tournament.
Here are all the second tier stars involved in the World Cup this winter.
Australia
Riley McGree (Middlesbrough)
The midfielder has been in England for a couple of years now, firstly on loan at Birmingham City from Charlotte FC, before joining Middlesbrough permanently in January. McGree was nominated for the 2018 Puskas award with a stunning scorpion kick from his A-League days.
Harry Souttar (Stoke City)
Despite only making one appearance for Stoke this term, centre-half Souttar has found his way into Graham Arnold’s squad.
Bailey Wright (Sunderland)
Unlike Souttar, Wright has played more frequently for his side, having featured 10 times for the Black Cats, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
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Cameroon
Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City)
It's incredible that Ntcham is a Championship player considering he was scoring for Celtic in Europe not so long ago. He could be a huge asset to Cameroon in Qatar with his dribbling and physical play.
Canada
Junior Hoilett (Reading)
The 32-year-old has made 20 appearances for the Royals this term and has justly earned a place in the Canadian squad for just their second World Cup finals appearance.
Costa Rica
Jewison Bennette (Sunderland)
The 18-year-old winger came to the Championship in the summer as an unknown entity but has shown signs that he is a star of the future. Being included in the Costa Rica squad at this age shows just how much he is rated in his homeland.
Ghana
Baba Rahman (Reading)
The former Chelsea youngster has been a regular in Ghana squads over the last several years and it never seemed in doubt that he would be called up to represent the Black Stars on the biggest stage.
Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City)
The Robins striker has been linked with a move to the Premier League in the last two transfer windows and the World Cup will be a great chance to put himself in the shop window for potential suitors. It will be interesting to see how he fares at this level and if he can have an impact.
Morocco
Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers)
Chair has been one of QPR’s top performers over recent years and he too has been linked with a step up to the Premier League. There are sure to be many clubs keeping tabs on him over the next few weeks. He is a very exciting player to watch.
Anass Zaroury (Burnley)
He may have been a late replacement but Zarorury has fully merited a place in the Morocco squad. He has looked lively for the Clarets this term and has contributed four goals and two assists.
Poland
Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City)
The defensive midfielder has been a huge presence for the Blues this term, having joined on loan from League One Derby County to strengthen his claim for a World Cup spot. He could also prove to be a huge asset for his national team over the next few weeks.
Senegal
Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers)
Dieng is one of the top goalkeepers in the Championship at present and while he is unlikely to depose Edouard Mendy as the number one, he will serve as a very capable understudy.
Mamadou Loum (Reading)
Loum has looked sharp in central midfield for the Royals in 2022-23 having joined on loan from Porto for the season. He is not a nailed on starter as he has only received three caps for Senegal, but Qatar would still be a good experience for him.
Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United)
The Blades attacker has been one of the most exciting players in the Championship this term and he is the joint-highest goalscorer with nine. His efforts in South Yorkshire saw him rewarded with his first major tournament experience with Senegal and, with Sadio Mane ruled out, he might just have a bigger role to play than he first expected.
Iliman Ndiaye all set for his first ever @FIFAWorldCup with Senegal. 🇸🇳
Ismaila Sarr (Watford)
Watford’s pacey winger always seemed nailed on to go to the World Cup because of just how quick and powerful he is on the ball. On his day, he can be unplayable and manager Aliou Cisse will be aiming for Sarr to have some very good days in the weeks ahead. He has been involved in nine Championship goals so far this campaign, so he is heading to Qatar in form.
Tunisia
Hannibal Mejbri (Birmingham City)
The Manchester United loanee has looked the real deal for the Blues this term as he looks to have the perfect balance of grit and grace when it comes to his midfield play. For a lot of United fans, this will be the first real look they’ll get of the youngster in action, and if his performances at St Andrew’s are anything to go by, they should be excited.
USA
Ethan Horvath (Luton Town)
Horvath has enjoyed a solid first period in the Championship this term and he is likely to be USA’s starting shot-stopper in Qatar after keeping eight clean sheets for the Hatters.
Josh Sargent (Norwich City)
Sargent has been flying for the Canaries under Dean Smith, despite what fans have been making of the football. He is also on nine goals for the season and has been one of the surprise stars of the season. He is heading to the Middle East full of confidence and in the form of his life.
Wales
Adam Davies (Sheffield United)
Davies has proven to be a decent goalkeeper in the Championship over the years but he is more than likely going to Qatar as an understudy.
Ben Cabango (Swansea City)
The young centre-half has a promising future ahead of him and he looks set to be a key player for Rob Page moving forward, but he might just start gaining some valuable experience this winter.
Tom Lockyer (Luton Town)
Lockyer has turned in some impressive displays for the Hatters this year already and he could prove to be a valuable addition to Page’s squad during the World Cup.
Connor Roberts (Burnley)
Roberts has been a top performer at Championship level over the last few years and he can offer support going forward. He is set to have an interesting tussle with Neco Williams for that starting spot.
Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town)
The winger has had a fairytale-esque rise over the past 18-months from the National League to the World Cup. His traditional wing play and set-pieces could be a huge asset for Wales as they hope to reach the knockout stages.
Joe Allen (Swansea City)
Part of the old guard, Allen will be going to Qatar for leadership as much as anything and will bring valuable experience to help the younger players in the squad. He, along with Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey, will be Page’s on-field liaisons.
Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City)
The Cardiff youngster is one of those players who could lean on Allen over the next couple of weeks. The 20-year-old is one to watch not just in the Championship but for Wales as well. With Page already laying the groundwork for the future, we might just see players like Colwill get awarded some game time in Qatar.
Mark Harris (Cardiff City)
The Bluebirds striker is someone else who could have a big future for Wales. He is another player that looks to have been brought to Qatar to help prepare for the next era of Welsh football and, alongside the likes of Bale and Kieffer Moore, Harris could learn a lot.
