Mexico Calling! Haywards Heath College Student Charlie Chosen for England Squad at 2026 Amputee Football World Cup

Haywards Heath College student Charlie Hewson will fly out to Mexico tomorrow (Nov 10) as the youngest member of the England squad for the WAFF 2026 World Cup.

Charlie, 16, has been selected for the 14-man England Amputee Men’s National Team squad and says England have a “very good chance at going very far and being potential world champions.”

The talented teenager, a first year Extended Level 3 Diploma in Sport student, made his debut for the senior team in July in Cork, playing against Ireland in a 1-1 draw. In the second game, he scored his first goal in a 0-5 victory.

England will compete against Poland, Costa Rica and Iran in the first round of the World Amputee Football Federation World Cup which involves 24 teams and is being held in San Juan de los Lagos between November 13 and 22.

Charlie, who plays for Chelsea in the England Amputee Football League, says he was so happy to be selected for the team and is really looking forward to taking part.

His left leg was amputated after he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at nine-months-old. His football journey started at Lindfield as a junior using a prosthetic leg until he was aged about eight.

When he was 12, he joined Brighton and Hove Albion Foundation’s Disability Football Programme where he started playing amputee football on crutches.

An England Junior Squad call-up came in 2018, and he scored six goals on his debut against Ireland. Charlie started training with the senior squad aged 15, going once a month to train at Nantwich College in Cheshire.

After passing seven GCSEs in the summer, Charlie chose to come to Haywards Heath College and would like to take up a job in sport when he leaves. He said he has settled into the college well and is really enjoying his course.

In September, Charlie was invited by Ayr United to play in the Conference League tournament held in Bucharest in Romania. He was named player of the tournament and the team finished in 2^nd place.

Talking about being selected for the England World Cup squad, Charlie, said: “I was excited. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get in because you never know. When I got the phone call, it was a mix of excitement and relief.”

Kane Livesey, Football Academy Coach/Lead & Lecturer of Business at Haywards Heath College, said: “It’s an amazing moment and achievement for Charlie who has worked tirelessly for this call-up.

“Everyone at the college is so pleased and proud of him. His efforts and resilience are something to admire alongside his outstanding performances for England and Chelsea this season, it is really a deserved call up. We can’t wait to tune in to support and hear all about it when Charlie returns to college.”

Asked about the team’s chances at the World Cup, Charlie added: “I think we have a very good chance at going very far and being potential world champions. I think we have shown this in the past when we beat Poland, Spain and world champions Turkey to win the 2023 Nations League.”

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