Benamar has been selected for England Under-18s for the opening round of qualification for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, taking place in Croatia between Sunday, 22nd March and Wednesday, 1st April.
He could feature against Bulgaria on Wednesday, 25th March (11:00 GMT), Spain on Saturday, 28th March (13:00 GMT), and hosts Croatia on Tuesday, 31st March (13:45 GMT).
Benamar first earned international recognition in February 2025 with England Under-17s, debuting in a 3-2 win over the Netherlands.
He scored directly from a corner on his first start three days later, and went on to play a key role in England’s UEFA Under-17 Championship campaign, featuring in every group-stage match at the finals.
Benetton and Drakes-Thomas, meanwhile, have been called up to England Under-17s for fixtures at St George’s Park between Sunday, 22nd and Tuesday, 31st March. They will face the Faroe Islands on Wednesday, 25th March (14:00 BST), Israel on Saturday, 28th March (14:00 BST), and Estonia on Tuesday, 31st March (14:00 BST).
Benetton earned England recognition midway through his U15 season with a debut in a 2–1 win over Japan. He has since featured at U16 level against Italy and Portugal, attended the England Men’s ‘Keeping Camp’ for top 17–19-year-old ‘keepers, and most recently played in Türkiye against Denmark and France.
Drakes-Thomas impressed internationally in February 2025 during the UEFA U16 Development Tournament, providing two assists in three matches.
Later in the autumn, he contributed at England’s Dubai camp, including setting up Mathis Eboue’s hat-trick in a 5–2 win over the USA and featuring in draws with Côte d’Ivoire and Australia, as England finished unbeaten and runners-up.
Congratulations, Deano, Lucca, and JDT!