Dowman left out: England u17s name just 1 Arsenal player in World Cup squad

On Oct 21, 2025

Jack Porter has been named in the England U17 squad for the World Cup in November, but Max Dowman will not be involved despite playing a vital role in qualifying.

Photo by Ben McShane – Sportsfile/UEFA via Getty Images

England U17 boss Neil Ryan has named his squad for the upcoming U17 World Cup, with Arsenal goalkeeper Jack Porter on the list.

Porter will be the only Arsenal youngster at the tournament, with Max Dowman not included. The FA decided to promote Dowman to the England Under-19s after his Premier League debut for Arsenal, and it appears he is set to stay at that level.

Porter was also promoted to the England Under-19s around the same time in September and then played for the England Under-18s in October. But for a major tournament like the World Cup, it is not uncommon for players who have played at higher levels to come back down.

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Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images for DFB

Under-17s boss Ryan would probably have hoped Dowman would also be available, given the midfielder’s key role in the qualifiers. The 15-year-old Arsenal player has scored three goals and provided two assists in six Euro qualifiers (which doubled as World Cup qualifiers).

But Dowman is now a regular in Arsenal’s first team, and there is certainly an argument that he is beyond U17 football at this stage. This would no longer particularly benefit its development.

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The situation is different with Porter, who is still fighting for a regular place in Arsenal’s youth teams. He should certainly benefit a lot from his participation in the U17 World Cup in November.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

England are in Group E of the tournament and will face Venezuela on November 4, Haiti on November 7 and Egypt on November 10. If the team continues to progress to the final, Porter could be in Qatar until November 27, meaning he will spend up to a month away from Arsenal.