Arsenal boast an impressive history of nurturing skills, with several alumni from their Hale End academy achieving prominence as complete, high-level international players.
Many top-tier players – whether young talents or seasoned veterans – honed their abilities in Arsenal’s academy, which serves as the initial stage toward an illustrious milestone for any footballer: competing for their country at the World Cup.
We've pinpointed nine graduates from Arsenal’s Hale End academy who could shine at the 2026 World Cup happening next year.
Bukayo Saka
Saka has been the quintessential representative of Hale End and has consistently stood out as one of England’s top players in recent times.
Once he comes back from his injury, he will likely be one of the initial names on Thomas Tuchel’s team sheet.
The English team genuinely has a chance of winning the cup in New Jersey next year, with Saka being one of their key players.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Although England has notably had plenty of choices for right-back positions in recent times, the left side has been problematic due to Luke Shaw’s persistent injuries.
Nine months later, Tuchel benefits from having some highly talented young players at his disposal, including Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The young talent from Arsenal initiated the Tuchel era by scoring an early goal against Albania, surpassing Marcus Rashford’s record to become the youngest player to find the net on their first appearance for England.
"I find myself speechless," he commented about scoring his first goal.
The last six months have flown by incredibly fast. I focus on the here and now, embracing each moment as it arrives. To be honest, it’s astounding. This is definitely a day I will always remember.
Ethan Nwaneri
Since Nwaneri has recently celebrated his 18th birthday, following his current development path suggests he won't have to wait too long before becoming part of Tuchel’s strategy. For now, he is still playing for England’s U-19 team, but we would be surprised if he doesn’t make his senior-team debut within the upcoming year.
The young talent is qualified to play for Nigeria via his father, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Super Eagles move quickly to sign one of the Premier League’s most promising stars when the chance arises.
Mika Biereth
Surprisingly, Biereth has scored 11 league goals for Monaco this season, which is more than any player in Mikel Arteta’s team. He joined the club in January.
The young forward, who just turned 22, hails from London where he also grew up. He had been with Hale End for some time following an extended period affiliated with Fulham. However, his journey to elite football led him elsewhere within Europe; this summer, he moved to the Austrian champions Sturm Graz, bolstering their team after impressively performing during a recent loan spell.
In his brief stint in the Austrian Bundesliga, he demonstrated sufficient skill to secure a transfer to Monaco, where he has been phenomenal, scoring three hat-tricks in just his first nine matches of Ligue 1.
His impressive performance led to his first senior call-up for Denmark — a country he is qualified to represent at the youth level through his father. He even began in their recent match where they defeated Portugal.
Folarin Balogun
Following a dislocated shoulder injury sustained by former Hale End player Balogun, Monaco went ahead and signed Biereth during the January transfer window.
Raised in London after being born in Brooklyn, the forward played for England across four distinct junior teams prior to committing to represent the United States in 2023.
In the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final against Canada, he netted his inaugural international goal, and since then, he has accumulated five goals in 17 matches for his nation.
Balogun was noticeably absent during the United States' recent 1-0 loss to Panama. This absence could significantly impact Mauricio Pochettino’s aspirations for a successful World Cup run in his homeland.
Alex Iwobi
Arsene Wenger spoke highly of Alex Iwobi, mentioning his admiration for the midfielder in the past.
He has a great attitude and plays efficiently. Not necessarily showy, but he grasps the game well. Highly effective and always contributes to the team.
You would definitely identify such an evaluation now, considering Iwobi is possibly delivering the finest form of his career, consistently reliable for Marco Silva’s impressive Fulham side.
Born in Lagos, he was brought up in Newham. Iwobi played for England’s youth teams across three different age groups before opting to represent Nigeria at the senior level. His upcoming appearance for Nigeria will mark his 50th cap.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the previous World Cup but came in second place at last year’s African Nations Championship (AFCON). However, their performance has been inconsistent during the qualifiers for the 2026 event.
Serge Gnabry
This season, the winger has appeared as a substitute more often than he has started games under coach Vincent Komply. However, by next summer’s World Cup, he will likely have spent nearly ten years being a key player both at Bayern Munich and with the German national team. You would expect him to also feature prominently in Julian Nagelsmann’s plans leading up to the 2026 tournament.
Gnabry exhibited glimpses of potential during his initial tenure with Arsenal under Wenger, yet barely featuring due to a spell on loan at West Brom turned out to be a poor decision. Since then, he has undoubtedly made significant progress from the point where Tony Pulis considered him inadequate.
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Emiliano Martinez
The journey to success was lengthy for Martinez, who honed his skills at Hale End following his arrival from Argentina when he turned 18.
The goalkeeper's early career was marked by numerous uneventful loan spells before he eventually caught Argentina's attention due to his standout performance for his parent club during their successful FA Cup campaign in the 2019-20 season.
"I believe you shouldn't focus on the possibility of not playing; instead, you should always think you have the talent. However, during my career around age 22 or 23, when I wasn't getting much playtime, I went on my initial loan to Spain and managed just six appearances," he explained to Sky Sports.
Then I realized that returning to Arsenal meant they wouldn't offer me an opportunity, thus forcing me into a loan situation; these years were truly challenging, and at times, I even lost my passion for football.
After spending ten years with Arsenal until the age of 28, Martinez moved to Aston Villa. The subsequent year, he secured his first appearance for the national team and hasn’t missed a beat since then—emerging as a pivotal player as they claimed consecutive Copa America titles along with the World Cup.
Next summer, he aims for an unparalleled fourth consecutive title with La Albiceleste. He has always experienced nothing but outstanding success at the international level.
Chido Obi-Martin
Similar to Nwaneri, Obi-Martin has not made his senior international debut yet. This 17-year-old forward is currently playing for Denmark’s U-18 team.
Considering his impressive track record at the youth level and his notable appearances for Manchester United, it wouldn’t be surprising if he competes with Biereth and teammate Rasmus Hojlund for a spot in Brian Riemer’s lineup by the end of next season.
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