Jordan Pickford is set to break Peter Shilton’s record as the England player with the most appearances in men’s World Cup history.
After being named by Thomas Tuchel in the starting XI against Norway, Jordan Pickford will overtake Peter Shilton to become England’s all-time men’s World Cup appearance record holder.
It marks Pickford’s 18th appearance in a Three Lions shirt at a World Cup, the most of any player. Harry Kane has also equalled Shilton’s tally of 17 after being named in the starting XI.
Pickford made his World Cup debut in 2018, starting England’s opening match in a 2-1 win against Tunisia. He kept his first clean sheet in the quarter-finals during a 2-0 victory over Sweden.
Across his 17 previous matches at the World Cup, Pickford has kept six clean sheets, the second most of any goalkeeper for England; Gordon Banks also has six, while Shilton kept 10.
Furthermore, Pickford has made 32 saves across his World Cup career; only Banks (33) and Shilton (54) have made more. You’d suspect Pickford will go past Banks at the 2026 World Cup.
jordan pickford world cup saves
Aside from the World Cup, Pickford has had an impressive international career since making his first-team debut in a friendly against Germany in November 2017, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Saturday will be the 90th time he has donned the Three Lions strip. He’s kept 44 clean sheets in his previous 89 games, conceding 59 goals at a rate of 0.66 per match.
Pickford has been occasionally error-prone at Everton, but at the international level he has been extremely reliable. In those 89 matches, Pickford has only made six errors leading to a shot, and just two of those have been punished by a goal.
Only Kane (35) has made more major-tournament appearances for England than Pickford (31).
At the 2026 World Cup, Pickford has impressed between the sticks once again, especially in the last-16 win over Mexico, when he commandingly helped England hold on to a 3-2 lead.
Curiously, and thanks to his kicking range, Pickford is one of only four goalkeepers to have created a chance at the 2026 World Cup, along with Orlando Mosquera, Max Crocombe and Camilo Vargas.
FIFA World Cup Stats Opta
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