Countries competing in the 2026 World Cup are starting to name their final squads for the competition, with one of the Chelsea youngsters selected to represent their nation.
There are going to be a plethora of Blues stars on display for their countries, with Enzo Fernandez looking to help Argentina defend their trophy.
Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos will be looking to get Brazil back on top from the South American nations, although they will be without Estevao Willian after his serious hamstring injury.
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Mike Penders called up to Belgium World Cup squad
Belgium are not perceived as one of the favourites for the competition with their golden generation passing them by, revolving around Chelsea legend Eden Hazard.
Former Blues Thibaut Courtois and Kevin de Bruyne will be in action, and Belgium’s official squad announcement has seen Mike Penders named in the squad too.
Mike Penders of Chelsea FC poses with the trophy during the
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
The youngster has not yet been capped for the senior side after making four appearances for the U21s.
Despite being on loan this season, he is the only Chelsea representative in the Belgium squad. This means that Romeo Lavia has not been selected despite returning to full fitness recently.
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Mike Penders’ Chelsea future
Penders caught the eye with his Conference League semi-final performance despite Strasbourg’s elimination from the competition, and he is set to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Despite impressing in France, Chelsea are having doubts that Penders will be ready for the 2026/27 season to be competing for the number one jersey.
There may be a change of heart depending on who the new permanent manager is going to be in West London following the departure of Liam Rosenior.
Xabi Alonso could be the perfect candidate for Penders to make his mark though, given he has a preference for playing out from the back, an area the youngster thrives in.
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