Norwich City's history is marked by just five players who have featured at a FIFA World Cup while at the club. This summer, five Canaries head to North America with the chance to double that tally. Kenny McLean (Scotland), Anis Ben Slimane (Tunisia), Mo Toure (Australia), Jose Cordoba (Panama), and Ali Ahmed (Canada) will be flying the yellow and green flag on the world stage. The 2026 iteration of football's biggest prize will kick off this Thursday and City supporters will be afforded the opportunity to cheer on plenty of their current stars throughout the summer. This will be a historic summer for Norwich. Their tally of World Cup representatives, whilst on the books at Carrow Road, could double. We've looked back at the previous Canaries who played in a tournament as contracted City members. Martin O'Neill, who captained Northern Ireland at the 1982 tournament in Spain, was the first Norwich City player to appear at a World Cup. O'Neill had returned to Carrow Road for a second spell from Manchester City in February for £125,000, arriving with Norwich sat 11th in the Second Division, 13 points adrift of the promotion places. His influence was immediate. Six goals in 20 appearances helped drive Ken Brown's side to a third-place finish and a return to the top flight. That momentum carried into the summer, where O'Neill skippered Billy Bingham's Northern Ireland side in one of the competition's great underdog stories. Drawn alongside hosts Spain, Honduras, and Yugoslavia, they held their own in the opening two matches before a famous 1–0 victory over Spain in Valencia secured progression. They progressed to the second round, where they drew 2-2 with Austria before a 4-1 defeat to France ended their dream. It saw them finish ninth in the tournament, a remarkable achievement considering their size and resources. Andy Townsend, who signed from Southampton for £300,000 in August 1988, had a better campaign than O'Neill in 1990. Townsend's performances at Carrow Road quickly established him as a key figure and earned him international recognition. He made his Republic of Ireland debut against France in February 1989 and, by the time Italia '90 arrived, had already collected 17 caps, all while a Norwich player. Ireland faced England, Egypt, and the Netherlands in Group F, drawing all three to qualify for the knock-outs. A famous 5-4 spot-kick triumph over Romania, with Townsend netting the third penalty, remains one of the most celebrated nights in the country's football history. Their run ended only at the quarter-final stage in Rome by the hosts, Italy, and a Salvatore Schillaci goal. Weeks after that tournament, Townsend completed a £1.2m move from Norwich to Chelsea. It was that World Cup that essentially elevated him above City's reach. He didn't play a single minute for the Canaries after stepping off the pitch at the Stadio Olimpico. Townsend, along with O'Neill, made five appearances at a World Cup - more than anyone while a Norwich player. He started and played every minute of the five matches, a record that one of City's current squad will be hoping to eclipse in North America this summer.