Chelsea defender Landon Emenalo has earned a place in the latest England Young Lions squad announced by The Football Association ahead of this month’s international fixtures.
England U18 manager Ben Futcher named the 18-year-old among the 23 players selected for a training camp in Cyprus, where the Young Lions are scheduled to face Greece and Cyprus.
Landon is the son of former Super Eagles defender Michael Emenalo, who was part of Nigeria’s squad at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and served as cover for the injured Benedict Iroha during the tournament.
Born in Arizona, United States, Emenalo is eligible to represent England, the United States, or Nigeria at international level through his background. However, he is currently provisionally tied to England after making his competitive debut for the Young Lions during a European U17 Championship qualifier against Malta in October 2024.
If he eventually decides to switch allegiance to either Nigeria or the United States, he would need to apply for a formal change of sporting nationality.
The young defender enjoyed an impressive 2025/26 season with Chelsea F.C. youth sides, featuring across several competitions including the Premier League 2, U18 Premier League, FA Youth Cup, UEFA Youth League, Premier League International Cup, and the EFL Trophy.
His rapid progress also saw him named on Chelsea’s first-team bench for the Premier League clash against Liverpool F.C. as well as a UEFA Champions League fixture against Pafos.
Also included in the England U18 squad for the May internationals are Ifeoluwa Ibrahim of Arsenal F.C. and Chelsea striker Chizaram Ezenwata.
