Six Crystal Palace Academy players represented their countries during the March international window, with selections spanning from youth level through to the senior international stage.
Standout contributions included Rio Cardines’ two assists for Trinidad and Tobago and a goal from Dean Benamar for England Under-18s, while Lucca Benetton stepped up to England Under-17s and Charlie Walker-Smith continued his preparations for this summer’s UEFA U19 EURO Finals with Wales.
The club’s young internationals gained valuable experience across a busy period – see how they got on below!
Palace Under‑21s wing‑back Rio Cardines featured for 83 minutes as Trinidad and Tobago opened the series with a 4–1 defeat to Venezuela on Friday (27th March), helping his side remain competitive against opponents ranked 47 places higher in the FIFA standings.
Despite the scoreline, the wing-back delivered an encouraging performance during a strong opening hour, with the Soca Warriors taking the lead before Venezuela turned the contest around.
In their second fixture, Cardines was directly involved in both goals in a thrilling 2–2 draw with Gabon on Monday (30th March).
He registered his first assist from an inswinging corner, allowing Levi García to level early in the second half, before providing his second from a free-kick, which García finished first time to complete both his brace and Cardines’ assist double.
The draw saw Trinidad and Tobago take Gabon to a penalty shootout, where their opponents edged a 3–2 victory to bring the tournament to a close.
Cardines stepped up during the shootout, showing confidence and character, but was narrowly off target from 12 yards.
The 19-year-old now has three assists in 11 senior international appearances, continuing his positive impact at senior level following his return to the international set-up after injury ruled him out of November’s World Cup qualifiers.
Having made his senior debut in May 2025, Cardines is building valuable experience across both World Cup qualifying and wider international competition, further establishing himself within the national side.
The FIFA Series initiative, which brings together nations from different confederations, saw Trinidad and Tobago face Venezuela, Gabon and hosts Uzbekistan in a competitive and diverse group of fixtures.
Dean Benamar was on target as England Under-18s secured a 2–0 victory over Croatia on Tuesday afternoon (31st March), confirming the Young Lions’ progression to the next stage of qualification for the 2027 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
It marked England’s final fixture of the March international window, with the side recording two wins (against Bulgaria and Croatia) and one defeat (to Spain) across the three matches.
Returning to international action after injury curtailed his involvement towards the end of last year, Benamar made a decisive impact with a well-taken goal, having been an unused substitute in the earlier fixtures against Bulgaria and Spain.
Benji Casey was also involved throughout the camp, making late substitute appearances in both victories over Bulgaria and Croatia, introduced in the 75th minute on each occasion to help see out the results.
The striker was named among the substitutes in the defeat to Spain but remained unused, continuing his steady development at international level through consistent involvement in matchday squads.
England’s results ensure they remain in League A for the next stage of qualification on the road to the 2027 finals in the Czech Republic.
Under the revised format, qualification is split across three rounds, with this stage forming Round One. League standings will determine placement for Round Two in the autumn, before a final round next spring decides the seven teams to join the hosts.
These fixtures mark another important step for the group, who will progress into the MU19s during the 2026/27 season as they continue their journey towards the European Championship finals.
Lucca Benetton was an unused substitute as England Under-17s opened their UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying campaign with a 3–0 victory over the Faroe Islands, before not being included in the matchday squad for the 3–1 defeat to Israel.
The 15-year-old 'keeper was again absent from the squad for England’s final fixture – a 2–0 win over Estonia – as the Young Lions concluded their League B group with two wins and one defeat.
Despite finishing the campaign on a positive note, England were unable to qualify for this summer’s UEFA U17 EURO Finals, with progression already ruled out following results in the opening round last November.
Still just 15, Benetton’s involvement at Under-17 level underlines his rapid progression through the England pathway, having stepped up an age group after featuring for the Under-16s earlier this season.
At club level, he has also established himself as Palace Under-18s’ first-choice 'keeper in recent months, with his performances continuing to support his international recognition.
U21s wing-back Joel Drakes-Thomas was also named in the original squad but withdrew prior to the camp and was replaced by Harvey Higgins.
Palace U21s ‘keeper Owen Goodman was an unused substitute as Canada played out a weather-disrupted 0–0 draw with Tunisia in their latest international friendly.
The match in Toronto was delayed by over 90 minutes due to thunder, lightning and torrential rain, with conditions remaining challenging once play eventually got underway on a rain-soaked surface.
Despite creating several opportunities, Canada were unable to find a breakthrough against the North African side, as they concluded their March international camp with a goalless draw.
It marks a second consecutive game as an unused substitute for Goodman during the current international window, as the 22-year-old continues to gain valuable experience within the senior national team set-up.
The camp also brought clarity on Canada’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opponents, with Bosnia and Herzegovina securing the final place in Group B following a dramatic play-off victory over Italy.
Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening match of the tournament in Toronto on 12th June, as the co-hosts begin their World Cup campaign on home soil.
Goodman, currently gaining senior experience out on loan this season, will be hoping his continued involvement in international camps can strengthen his chances of being included in Canada’s squad for the tournament next summer.
Palace U18s centre-back Charlie Walker-Smith featured off the bench for Wales Under-19s in their international friendly against the USA in Spain on Saturday.
Introduced in the second half, the defender played 30 minutes as Cymru were beaten 4–0 at Oliva Nova Resort, in a fixture that forms part of their preparations for this summer’s UEFA U19 EURO Finals, set to be hosted in north Wales.
Walker-Smith’s involvement comes amid a period of transition within the squad, with the March camp offering opportunities for new players to integrate and for staff to assess options ahead of the final stages of preparation.
Speaking earlier in the week, he said: “I think there were a few new boys being tested and some new coaching staff as well, so it was about getting to grips with everything.”
The appearance adds to Walker-Smith’s growing experience with the Young Dragons across recent international windows, having also featured in September’s preparatory tournament, October’s Marbella camp, and a November mini-tournament.
He is now part of a new era under head coach Chris Gunter, who took charge of the U19s for the first time following his appointment in January.
All times are UK.
England Under-17s – Lucca Benetton & Joel Drakes-Thomas
England Under-18s – Benji Casey & Dean Benamar
Canada - Owen Goodman
Trinidad and Tobago – Rio Cardines
Wales Under-19 - Charlie Walker-Smith
