After five games in two weeks, West Ham United’s hectic schedule at home and abroad is put on ice as the last bout of international action before the summer takes centre stage.
With hotly-anticipated tournaments such as the 2024 UEFA European Championship and 2024 Copa América on the horizon, a host of Hammers heroes will be looking to stake their claims for a place in their countries’ final squads.
While this month’s fixtures feature a number of exhibition matches, there are a couple of individuals with plenty to play for, with qualifying play-offs and Nations League knockouts coming up in the next few days.
Read on for all you need to know about West Ham United’s March internationals…
Who has been called up?
A total of eight West Ham United players could feature for their senior national sides ahead of the Club’s Premier League return away at Newcastle United on Saturday 30 March.
Michail Antonio and Mohammed Kudus have withdrawn from the Jamaica and Ghana squads respectively, having been called up by their countries earlier this month.
Jarrod Bowen has impressed throughout 2023/24, with his 14 goals in 28 Premier League games placing him joint-fifth in the race for the Golden Boot as it stands, while he recently notched the first hat-trick of his career and became the Irons’ record European scorer by netting against SC Freiburg.
Such form has not been lost on England boss Gareth Southgate, who has included Bowen in his Three Lions squad for exciting friendlies against Brazil on Saturday 23 March and Belgium on Tuesday 26 March, both at Wembley.
That first clash against five-time world champions Brazil could see Bowen come up against his West Ham United teammate Lucas Paquetá, who is set to add to his 42 senior caps this month.
The 26-year-old returns to the squad after missing his country’s six opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which were played in the three international windows in late 2023.
Following their friendly against England, the Samba stars will travel to Madrid to take on Luis de la Fuente’s Spain in their second of two mouth-watering encounters on Tuesday 26 March.
Defender Dinos Mavropanos is set to be the first member of David Moyes’ squad to feature this week, with Greece scheduled to host Kazakhstan in the 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifying play-off semi-finals on Thursday 21 March.
The 2004 European champions finished third in Group B during the qualification phase but advanced to the play-offs via the Nations League, and were drawn in Path C. If they beat Kazakhstan, Greece will then play either Georgia or Luxembourg away for a spot at the finals on Tuesday 26 March.
Edson Álvarez has also left London with something to play for on the international scene, with the Hammers midfielder involved in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals in the USA.
The 26-year-old and his Mexico side take on Panama in the early hours of Friday 22 March in their semi-final, and they will take to the field again on Sunday March 24, in either the final or the third-place play-off. Jaime Lozano’s men will be hoping to better their runners-up finish in the competition in 2021.
Elsewhere, Czech Republic skipper Tomáš Souček is looking to increase his tally of 66 caps in friendlies against Norway in Oslo on Friday 22 March and Armenia in Prague on Tuesday 26 March.
Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola - who has been in imperious form for West Ham this term - is part of the France squad scheduled to come up against Germany and Chile on home soil, on Saturday 23 March and Tuesday 26 March respectively.
Nayef Aguerd and Morocco are in line for two friendlies in Agadir, against Angola on Friday 22 March and then Mauritania four days later.
Finally, 19-year-old Callum Marshall, who is currently on loan at EFL Championship heavyweights West Bromwich Albion, will be hoping to add to his three senior Northern Ireland caps in friendlies away at Romania and Scotland, on Friday 22 March and Tuesday 26 March respectively.
Where can I watch the games?
Jarrod Bowen and England’s two matches will be broadcast live on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. Coverage of the first of those, also featuring Brazil’s Lucas Paquetá on Saturday 23 March, will begin at 6pm.
The Scotland v Northern Ireland game on Tuesday 26 March, in which youngster Callum Marshall could play, is being shown across the BBC, and on Viaplay Sports 1.
Fans can watch Northern Ireland’s first game against Romania four days earlier through Viaplay, while the platform also has rights to show a number of the other matches involving West Ham players, including Greece v Kazakhstan, Norway v Czech Republic and France v Germany.
Unfortunately, games involving African nations and the CONCACAF Nations League fixtures are not available to watch in the UK.
Fixtures in full
Thursday 21 March 2024
Dinos Mavropanos | Greece v Kazakhstan - 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifying play-off semi-final - OPAP Arena, Athens, Greece - 7.45pm GMT
Friday 22 March 2024
Edson Álvarez | Panama v Mexico - 2024 CONCACAF Nations League Finals semi-final - AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, USA - 2.15am GMT
Tomáš Souček | Norway v Czech Republic - International match - Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway - 5pm GMT
Callum Marshall | Romania v Northern Ireland - International match - Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania - 7.45pm GMT
Nayef Aguerd | Morocco v Angola - International match - Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco - 10pm GMT
Saturday 23 March 2024
Jarrod Bowen & Lucas Paquetá | England v Brazil - International match - Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7pm GMT
Alphonse Areola | France v Germany - International match - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - 8pm GMT
Tuesday 26 March 2024
Tomáš Souček | Czech Republic v Armenia - International match - epet ARENA, Prague, Czech Republic - 7pm GMT
Jarrod Bowen | England v Belgium - International match - Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7.45pm GMT
Callum Marshall | Scotland v Northern Ireland - International match - Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland - 7.45pm GMT
Alphonse Areola | France v Chile - International match - Orange Vélodrome, Marseille, France - 8pm GMT
Lucas Paquetá | Spain v Brazil - International match - Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain - 8.30pm GMT
Nayef Aguerd | Morocco v Mauritania - International match - Adrar Stadium, Agadir, Morocco - 10pm GMT
