Progression of association football caps record

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This is a progressive list of men's association footballers who have held or co-held the world record for international caps, beginning with Billy MacKinnon, the only man to play in all of Scotland's first seven internationals.

Criteria

The criteria used by national FAs in considering a match as a full international were not historically fixed. Particularly for the early decades, and until more recently for FAs outside UEFA and CONMEBOL, counts of caps were often considered unreliable. RSSSF and IFFHS have spent much effort trying to produce definitive lists of full international matches, and corresponding data on players' international caps and goals. Using this data, the following records can be retrospectively produced. Note that, at the time, these records may not have been recognised.

One point of note is that early matches by the England Amateur side were played against the full national side of opponents. These matches are counted as full internationals by the IFFHS and the opposing FAs, though not by the (English) FA. This affects Vivian Woodward, who won 23 full caps and 30 amateur caps; the IFFHS considers him as the record-holder from 1909, when his total of 31 caps included 11 amateur matches.[1][2]

Before 1977, the world record holder was always European, except when Ángel Romano narrowly overtook Imre Schlosser. After 1977, many sources, including FIFA[3][4] and the Guinness Book of Records,[5] reported later European cap records as world records. Subsequent validation of the caps claimed by Cha Bum-Kun, Hussein Saeed, Majed Abdullah, and Adnan Al Talyani has shown that, even stripping out ineligible matches, these players exceeded the contemporary European counts. Similarly, Hossam Hassan of Egypt was reported as having broken Lothar Matthäus' putative record of 150 caps in 2001.[6]

In August 2021, four retired Malaysian internationals were retrospectively admitted to the FIFA Century Club,[7] with Soh Chin Ann's 1984 appearance against North Yemen recognised as a record 195th cap,[7][8] thereby annulling the putative record totals achieved in intervening decades by Cha, Saeed, Abdullah, Al Talyani, Claudio Suárez, Mohamed Al-Deayea, Ahmed Hassan, and Bader Al Mutawa.[8]

On 14 June 2022, Bader Al-Mutawa surpassed Soh Chin Ann's record of 195 matches recognised by FIFA and he become the men's all-time record appearance holder with 196 caps.

On 10 December 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo equalled Al Mutawa's record of 196 matches recognised by FIFA in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals against Morocco in Qatar.

On 23 March 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed Al Mutawa and become the men's all-time record appearance holder with 197 caps.

On 20 June 2023, he reached 200 matches and become the first male professional footballer to do it.

The women's international cap record is 354, held by Kristine Lilly of the United States, who exceeded Soh's total with her 196th cap against Norway in the 2000 Algarve Cup.[9]

World record

More information Player, Country ...
PlayerCountryCapDateVenueOpponentScoreNotes
Billy MacKinnon Scotland73 March 1877Kennington Oval England3–1[1][10]
82 March 1878Hampden Park England7–2[1][10]
95 April 1879Kennington Oval England4–5[1][10]
Henry McNeil Scotland912 March 1881Kennington Oval England6–1[1][11]
1014 March 1881Acton Park, Wrexham Wales5–1[1][11]
John Price Wales1025 March 1882Glasgow Scotland0–5[12]
1112 March 1883Wrexham Scotland0–3[1][13]
1217 March 1883Belfast Ireland1–1[1][13]
Norman Bailey England1217 March 1884Racecourse Ground Wales4–01884 British Home Championship[14]
1328 February 1885Whalley Range, Blackburn Ireland4–01885 British Home Championship[1][14]
1414 March 1885Leamington Road Wales1–11885 British Home Championship[1][14]
1521 March 1885Kennington Oval Scotland1–11885 British Home Championship[1][14]
1627 March 1886Hampden Park Scotland1–11886 British Home Championship[1][14]
1729 March 1886Racecourse Ground Wales3–11886 British Home Championship[1][14]
1826 February 1887Kennington Oval Wales4–01887 British Home Championship[1][14]
1919 March 1887Leamington Road Scotland2–31887 British Home Championship[1][14]
Olphert Stanfield Ireland195 April 1893Belfast Wales4–31893 British Home Championship[15]
2024 February 1894Swansea Wales1–41894 British Home Championship[1][15]
213 March 1894Solitude England2–21894 British Home Championship[1][16]
2231 March 1894Belfast Scotland1–31894 British Home Championship[1][15]
239 March 1895County Cricket Ground, Derby England0–91895 British Home Championship[1][17]
2430 March 1895Glasgow Scotland1–31895 British Home Championship[1][15]
267 March 1896Solitude England0–21896 British Home Championship[1][18]
2728 March 1896Belfast Scotland3–31896 British Home Championship[1][15]
2820 February 1897Trent Bridge England0–61897 British Home Championship[1][19]
296 March 1897Belfast Wales4–31897 British Home Championship[1][15]
3027 March 1897Glasgow Scotland1–51897 British Home Championship[1][15]
Vivian Woodward England3015 March 1909Nottingham Wales2–01909 British Home Championship[2]
3129 May 1909Budapest Hungary4–2[1][2]
3231 May 1909Budapest Hungary8–2[1][2]
331 June 1909Vienna Austria8–1[1][2]
England England Amateurs346 November 1909Hull Sweden7–0[1][2]
3511 December 1909London Netherlands9–1[1][2]
 England3612 February 1910Belfast Ireland1–11910 British Home Championship[1][2]
Billy Meredith Wales3613 March 1911London England0–31911 British Home Championship[20]
372 March 1912Edinburgh Scotland0–11912 British Home Championship[20]
3811 March 1912Wrexham England0–21912 British Home Championship[20]
3913 April 1912Cardiff Ireland2–31912 British Home Championship[20]
4018 January 1913Belfast Ireland1–01912 British Home Championship[20]
413 March 1913Wrexham Scotland0–01913 British Home Championship[20]
4217 March 1913Bristol England3–41913 British Home Championship[20]
4319 January 1914Wrexham Ireland1–21914 British Home Championship[20]
4428 February 1914Glasgow Scotland0–01914 British Home Championship[20]
4516 March 1914Ninian Park England0–21914 British Home Championship[21]
Imre Schlosser Hungary4530 May 1915Vienna Austria2–1[22]
463 October 1915Vienna Austria2–4[22]
477 November 1915Budapest Austria6–2[22]
484 June 1916Budapest Austria2–1[22]
491 October 1916Budapest Austria2–3[22]
505 November 1916Vienna Austria3–3[22]
516 May 1917Vienna Austria1–1[22]
523 June 1917Budapest Austria6–2[22]
5315 July 1917Vienna Austria4–1[22]
547 October 1917Budapest Austria2–1[22]
554 November 1917Vienna Austria2–1[22]
5614 April 1918Budapest Austria2–0[22]
5712 May 1918Budapest  Switzerland2–1[22]
582 June 1918Vienna Austria2–0[22]
596 October 1918Vienna Austria3–0[22]
609 November 1919Budapest Austria3–2[22]
6124 October 1920Berlin Germany0–1[22]
6224 April 1921Vienna Austria1–4[22]
635 June 1921Budapest Germany3–0[22]
646 November 1921Budapest Sweden4–2[22]
6518 December 1921Budapest Poland1–0[22]
Ángel Romano Uruguay6526 October 1924Montevideo Paraguay3–11924 Copa América[23]
662 November 1924Montevideo Argentina0–01924 Copa América[23]
Imre Schlosser Hungary666 June 1926Budapest Czechoslovakia2–1[22]
Ángel Romano Uruguay6728 October 1926Santiago Bolivia6–01926 Copa América[23]
681 November 1926Santiago Paraguay6–11926 Copa América[23]
Imre Schlosser Hungary6810 April 1927Vienna Austria0–6[22]
Ángel Romano Uruguay6914 July 1927Montevideo Argentina0–1Copa Newton[23]
Severino Minelli  Switzerland6912 November 1939Zürich Italy3–1[24]
703 March 1940Turin Italy1–1[24]
7131 March 1940Budapest Hungary0–3[24]
7220 April 1941Bern Germany2–1[24]
7328 December 1941Valencia Spain2–3[24]
741 January 1942Lisbon Portugal0–3[24]
751 February 1942Vienna Germany2–1[24]
768 March 1942Marseille France2–0[24]
7718 October 1942Bern Germany3–5[24]
781 November 1942Budapest Hungary0–3[24]
7915 November 1942Zürich Sweden3–1[24]
8014 June 1943Stockholm Sweden0–1[24]
Ferenc Puskás Hungary809 June 1956Lisbon Portugal2–2[25]
8115 July 1956Budapest Poland4–1[25]
8216 September 1956Belgrade Yugoslavia3–1Dr. Gerö Cup[25]
8323 September 1956Moscow Soviet Union1–0[25]
847 October 1956Paris France2–1[25]
8514 October 1956Vienna Austria2–0[25]
Billy Wright England8519 May 1957Dublin Republic of Ireland1–11958 FIFA World Cup qualification[26]
8619 October 1957Cardiff Wales4–01957 British Home Championship[26]
876 November 1957London Northern Ireland2–31957 British Home Championship[26]
8827 November 1957London France4–0[26]
8919 April 1958Glasgow Scotland4–01958 British Home Championship[26]
907 May 1958London Portugal2–1[26]
9111 May 1958Belgrade Yugoslavia0–5[26]
9218 May 1958Moscow Soviet Union1–1[26]
938 June 1958Gothenburg Soviet Union2–21958 FIFA World Cup[26]
9411 June 1958Gothenburg Brazil0–01958 FIFA World Cup[26]
9515 June 1958Borås Austria2–21958 FIFA World Cup[26]
9617 June 1958Gothenburg Soviet Union0–11958 FIFA World Cup[26]
974 October 1958Belfast Northern Ireland3–31958 British Home Championship[26]
9822 October 1958London Soviet Union5–0[26]
9926 November 1958Birmingham Wales2–21958 British Home Championship[26]
10011 April 1959London Scotland1–01959 British Home Championship[26]
1016 May 1959London Italy2–2[26]
10213 May 1959Rio de Janeiro Brazil0–2[26]
10317 May 1959Lima Peru1–4[26]
10424 May 1959Mexico City Mexico1–2[26]
10528 May 1959Los Angeles United States8–1[26]
Bobby Charlton England10511 June 1970Guadalajara Czechoslovakia1–01970 FIFA World Cup[27]
10614 June 1970León West Germany2–31970 FIFA World Cup[27]
Bobby Moore England10610 June 1973Moscow Soviet Union2–1[28]
10714 June 1973Turin Italy0–2[28]
10814 November 1973London Italy0–1[28]
Soh Chin Ann Malaysia1081 March 1977Singapore Thailand6–41978 FIFA World Cup qualification[29]
1093 March 1977Singapore Indonesia0–01978 FIFA World Cup qualification[29]
1106 March 1977Singapore Singapore0–11978 FIFA World Cup qualification[29]
1118 March 1977Singapore Hong Kong1–11978 FIFA World Cup qualification[29]
11216 July 1977Kuala Lumpur Burma1–01977 Merdeka Tournament[29]
11318 July 1977Kuala Lumpur Thailand3–01977 Merdeka Tournament[29]
11421 July 1977Kuala Lumpur Libya1–11977 Merdeka Tournament[29]
11523 July 1977Kuala Lumpur Iraq0–01977 Merdeka Tournament[29]
11626 July 1977Kuala Lumpur South Korea1–11977 Merdeka Tournament[29]
11729 July 1977Kuala Lumpur Indonesia5–11977 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1188 September 1977Taegu Bahrain3–11977 President´s Cup[29]
11913 September 1977Seoul South Korea0–31977 President´s Cup[29]
12015 September 1977Seoul Thailand1–11977 President´s Cup[29]
12119 November 1977Kuala Lumpur Indonesia1–21977 SEA Games[29]
12221 November 1977Kuala Lumpur Philippines5–01977 SEA Games[29]
12325 November 1977Kuala Lumpur Burma9–11977 SEA Games[29]
12426 November 1977Kuala Lumpur Thailand2–01977 SEA Games[29]
12526 April 1978Bangkok Singapore0–11978 King's Cup[29]
1265 May 1978Bangkok Singapore3–21978 King's Cup[29]
12712 July 1978Kuala Lumpur South Korea1–31978 Merdeka Tournament[29]
12814 July 1978Kuala Lumpur Singapore6–01978 Merdeka Tournament[29]
12916 July 1978Kuala Lumpur Thailand2–01978 Merdeka Tournament[29]
13019 July 1978Kuala Lumpur Indonesia1–01978 Merdeka Tournament[29]
13121 July 1978Kuala Lumpur Japan4–11978 Merdeka Tournament[29]
13223 July 1978Kuala Lumpur Syria5–21978 Merdeka Tournament[29]
13326 July 1978Kuala Lumpur Iraq1–21978 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1349 September 1978Seoul Bahrain2–11978 President´s Cup[29]
13511 September 1978Busan South Korea2–21978 President´s Cup[29]
13610 December 1978Bangkok India1–08th Asian Games[29]
13712 December 1978Bangkok Bangladesh1–08th Asian Games[29]
13817 December 1978Bangkok Thailand1–28th Asian Games[29]
13918 December 1978Bangkok South Korea0–18th Asian Games[29]
14019 December 1978Bangkok China1–78th Asian Games[29]
1412 May 1979Bangkok Sri Lanka3–11980 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
1425 May 1979Bangkok Indonesia4–11980 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
1439 May 1979Bangkok North Korea1–11980 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
14411 May 1979Bangkok Hong Kong0–01980 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
14514 May 1979Bangkok North Korea0–11980 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
14627 June 1979Kuala Lumpur Japan1–11979 Merdeka Tournament[29]
14729 June 1979Kuala Lumpur Burma4–11979 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1481 July 1979Kuala Lumpur Thailand4–21979 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1494 July 1979Kuala Lumpur Indonesia1–11979 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1509 July 1979Kuala Lumpur Singapore3–01979 Merdeka Tournament[29]
15123 September 1979Jakarta Singapore2–01979 SEA Games[29]
15225 September 1979Jakarta Burma0–01979 SEA Games[29]
15326 September 1979Jakarta Indonesia0–01979 SEA Games[29]
15428 September 1979Jakarta Thailand1–01979 SEA Games[29]
15530 September 1979Jakarta Indonesia1–01979 SEA Games[29]
15614 November 1979Kuala Lumpur Sweden1–3Friendly match[29]
15725 November 1979Bangkok Singapore0–41979 King's Cup[29]
15812 March 1980Kuala Lumpur Saudi Arabia3–0Friendly match[29]
15916 March 1980Kuala Lumpur China3–1Friendly match[29]
16016 September 1980Kuwait City South Korea1–11980 AFC Asian Cup[29]
16118 September 1980Kuwait City Kuwait1–31980 AFC Asian Cup[29]
16220 September 1980Kuwait City United Arab Emirates2–01980 AFC Asian Cup[29]
16322 September 1980Kuwait City Qatar1–11980 AFC Asian Cup[29]
16415 October 1980Kuala Lumpur Morocco2–01980 Merdeka Tournament[29]
16517 October 1980Kuala Lumpur Burma3–21980 Merdeka Tournament[29]
16620 October 1980Kuala Lumpur Thailand2–21980 Merdeka Tournament[29]
16723 October 1980Kuala Lumpur Indonesia1–11980 Merdeka Tournament[29]
16827 October 1980Kuala Lumpur Kuwait2–11980 Merdeka Tournament[29]
16930 October 1980Kuala Lumpur New Zealand2–01980 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1702 November 1980Kuala Lumpur Morocco1–21980 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1715 April 1981Singapore Singapore1–11981 Ovaltine Cup[29]
17217 April 1981Kuala Lumpur Singapore1–21981 Ovaltine Cup[29]
17321 April 1981Kuwait City South Korea1–21982 FIFA World Cup qualification[29]
17425 April 1981Kuwait City Kuwait0–41982 FIFA World Cup qualification[29]
17530 August 1981Kuala Lumpur Japan0–21981 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1764 September 1981Kuala Lumpur New Zealand0–11981 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1779 September 1981Kuala Lumpur Indonesia2–01981 Merdeka Tournament[29]
17812 September 1981Kuala Lumpur United Arab Emirates0–11981 Merdeka Tournament[29]
17928 May 1983Singapore Singapore1–21983 SEA Games[29]
18030 May 1983Singapore Philippines0–01983 SEA Games[29]
1815 June 1983Singapore Brunei5–01983 SEA Games[29]
18219 September 1983Kota Bharu   Nepal7–01983 Merdeka Tournament[29]
18331 March 1984Wellington New Zealand0–2Friendly match[29]
1843 April 1984Christchurch New Zealand1–6Friendly match[29]
1858 April 1984Auckland New Zealand0–0Friendly match[29]
18612 August 1984Kuala Lumpur Singapore1–01984 Ovaltine Cup[29]
18718 August 1984Singapore Singapore1–11984 Ovaltine Cup[29]
18824 August 1984Kuala Lumpur Thailand1–01984 Merdeka Tournament[29]
18926 August 1984Kuala Lumpur Indonesia2–21984 Merdeka Tournament[29]
19029 August 1984Kota Bharu Liberia3–11984 Merdeka Tournament[29]
1914 September 1984Kuala Lumpur Papua New Guinea5–11984 Merdeka Tournament[29]
19211 October 1984Calcutta Pakistan5–01984 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
19314 October 1984Calcutta India1–21984 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
19416 October 1984Calcutta South Korea0–01984 AFC Asian Cup qualification[29]
19518 October 1984Calcutta North Yemen4–11984 AFC Asian Cup qualification[8][29]
Bader Al-Mutawa Kuwait19511 June 2022Kuwait City   Nepal4–12023 AFC Asian Cup qualification[30]
19614 June 2022Kuwait City Jordan3–02023 AFC Asian Cup qualification[30]
Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal19610 December 2022Doha Morocco1–02022 FIFA World Cup[31]
19723 March 2023Lisbon Liechtenstein4–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
19826 March 2023Luxembourg Luxembourg6–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
19917 June 2023Lisbon Bosnia and Herzegovina3–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
20020 June 2023Reykjavík Iceland0–1UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
2018 September 2023Trnava Slovakia0–1UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
20213 October 2023Porto Slovakia3–2UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
20316 October 2023Zenica Bosnia and Herzegovina0–5UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
20416 November 2023Vaduz Liechtenstein0–2UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
20519 November 2023Lisbon Iceland2–0UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying[31]
20626 March 2024Ljubljana Slovenia2–0Friendly match[31]
20711 June 2024Aveiro Republic of Ireland3–0Friendly match[31]
20818 June 2024Leipzig Czech Republic2–1UEFA Euro 2024[31]
20922 June 2024Dortmund Turkey3–0UEFA Euro 2024[31]
21026 June 2024Gelsenkirchen Georgia2–0UEFA Euro 2024[31]
2111 July 2024Frankfurt Slovenia0–0UEFA Euro 2024[31]
2125 July 2024Hamburg France0–0UEFA Euro 2024[31]
2135 September 2024Lisbon Croatia2–12024–25 UEFA Nations League[31]
2148 September 2024Lisbon Scotland2–12024–25 UEFA Nations League[31]
21512 October 2024Warsaw Poland1–32024–25 UEFA Nations League[31]
21615 October 2024Glasgow Scotland0–02024–25 UEFA Nations League[31]
21715 November 2024Porto Poland5–12024–25 UEFA Nations League[31]
21820 March 2025Copenhagen Denmark1–02024–25 UEFA Nations League[31]
21923 March 2025Lisbon Denmark5–22024–25 UEFA Nations League[31]
2204 June 2025Munich Germany1–22025 UEFA Nations League Finals[31]
2218 June 2025Munich Spain2–22025 UEFA Nations League Finals[31]
2226 September 2025Yerevan Armenia0–52026 FIFA World Cup qualification[31]
2239 September 2025Budapest Hungary2–32026 FIFA World Cup qualification[31]
22411 October 2025Lisbon Republic of Ireland1–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification[31]
22514 October 2025Lisbon Hungary2–22026 FIFA World Cup qualification[31]
22613 November 2025Dublin Republic of Ireland2–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification[31]
2276 June 2026Oeiras Chile2–1Friendly match[31]
22810 June 2026Leiria Nigeria2–1Friendly match[31]
22917 June 2026Houston DR Congo1–12026 FIFA World Cup[31]
23023 June 2026Houston Uzbekistan5–02026 FIFA World Cup[31]
23127 June 2026Miami Gardens Colombia0–02026 FIFA World Cup[31]
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References

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