Crystal Palace’s academy players have been involved across several international age groups during the September-October break, with Alfie Mulvenna and Lucca Benetton among those making a notable impact.
Mulvenna scored for Northern Ireland Under-17s in their 4-1 loss to Sweden in Spain. The centre-back, who joined Palace from Larne as a first-year scholar during the summer, was subsequently rested for the 2-1 win over Switzerland before returning to complete the full match in a 2-0 defeat by Wales. The three fixtures are part of Northern Ireland’s preparation for UEFA Under-17 European Championship qualifying in November.
Benetton made his England Under-17s debut in Germany, recording a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory over Venezuela. The goalkeeper had previously been an unused substitute against Israel and was not involved in the squad for the win over the Republic of Ireland. He remains with England ahead of their meeting with hosts Germany.
The appearance adds to an encouraging start to the season for the 16-year-old, who travelled with Palace’s first team to the Como Cup, has trained regularly under Pierre Sage and was named among the substitutes for the Eagles’ first UEFA Europa League match against Lech Poznań.
Summer recruit Taha Majni captained Morocco Under-20s in their opening UNAF Tournament fixture, playing 80 minutes in a goalless draw with Tunisia. He was then left out of the 3-1 victory over Algeria as Palace manage his minutes. The competition also serves as qualification for the 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, with Morocco competing for one of two available places alongside Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya. Majni was part of Morocco’s FIFA U20 World Cup-winning squad in Chile last year and has since won two Under-23 caps.
Dean Benamar came off the bench in England Under-19s’ 2-1 win over Norway, entering in the 70th minute as the Young Lions secured a fourth straight victory. The defender had scored in each of his three appearances during the March and May international windows, against Croatia, Greece and Cyprus. Joel Drakes-Thomas was selected for England Under-18s but withdrew through injury, while Isaac Ogunrinde made his Republic of Ireland Under-16s debut and started both defeats by France. Palace goalkeeper Rosen Modev has also been called up by Bulgaria Under-17s for friendlies against Estonia and Malta.
