156 people have officially served as captains of the England national football teams. The current captains are Harry Kane (men's) and Leah Williamson (women's).

The first England captain was Cuthbert Ottaway; he captained England in the first ever international match, against Scotland on 30 November 1872. He went on to captain England on just one further occasion, the third international match, on 7 March 1874, against the same opposition. Alexander Morten captained England in their first international on home soil, 8 March 1873, also against Scotland, and was the first international captain to win a match. Having previously played for Scotland against England, this was his only international appearance for England. Morten remains England's oldest captain.

The first unofficial women's international match was contested by England and France in 1920, with the Dick, Kerr Ladies "England" side captained by Alice Kell. The England women's team was authorised in 1972 by the Women's Football Association (WFA), originally unaffiliated with the Football Association (FA), and had Sheila Parker as its first captain. The official England women's first international match was played against Scotland on 18 November 1972, in anticipation of the centenary of the equivalent men's match. Parker remained in her role for four years before being left out of the 1976 British Home Championship; her replacement, Carol Thomas (née McCune), was only 20 when she took the armband, and retained it for nearly a decade. Women's players between 1972 and 1993 were not all officially recognised until 2022; there were also several prior to 1972, who were not sanctioned and are not recognised. Thomas is England's youngest official captain under the WFA; Keira Walsh is England's youngest official captain under the FA; Carol Wilson and Casey Stoney unofficially served as captains when younger than Thomas and Walsh.

Billy Wright set the record for most captaincies of his country in 1959, with 90. Bobby Moore, who remains England's youngest men's captain and the only England captain to have lifted the World Cup, reached 90 captaincies in 1973, sharing the record with Wright. Steph Houghton has the record for captaincies of the women's team, and outright fourth-most caps as captain (72) behind Wright and Moore, and Kane. Seven male players were captain in their only international cap, the last of these being in 1925. Williamson is England's only captain to have lifted the Euro, which she has done twice, and the only England captain to win a major trophy outside of England.

Several women's matches have seen two players start as co-captains. The most players known to wear the captain's armband for England in one match is four, which has happened three times. On 3 June 2003, Michael Owen started as captain with Emile Heskey, Phil Neville, and Jamie Carragher all wearing the armband. On 30 November 2021, Millie Bright started as captain, with Ellen White, Keira Walsh, and Alex Greenwood also wearing the armband. On 29 November 2025, Keira Walsh started as captain, and Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway also wore the armband.

Men's team Captain chronology Bold indicates current captain Italics indicates still-active players Source unless specified:

TenureIncumbentReserve captains1872–1874 18731875187618771878–187918791880188018811881–1887, , 1888 1889–1890 Jack Brodie1890 18911891 1891 189218931894 189418951895 1895 1896–1901 , , 1902 1902 1902 1903 1903–1904 19051905 190619071908–1910 1910–19141914–1918: World War I19191920 19201921 1921 19211921–19221922–19231923–1924, , , 19241924–19251925–1926, , 1927192719281928–1929192919291930 1930–19311931–1933, 19331934 1934–1939 , , , 1939–1945: World War II1946–1948 1948–1959 1959–1960 1960–1962 1962–1964 1964–1973 , , , , , 1974 1975 1975–1976, 1976–1982 , , , , , 1982–1991 , , , 1990–1992 Mark Wright, 1992–1993 , 1993–1995 , 1995–1996 1996–2000 , , , , 2000, 2000–2006 , 2006–2010 , , 2010–2011 , , 2011–2012, , 2012–2014 , , 2014–2017 , , , , , , 2017–2018 , , , 2018–present ,Hendo off the mark Englandfootball.com. Written by Tom Dean. Retrieved 8 March 2021. , , , , , , , , , Marc Guéhi,

Captains by tournament Bold indicates tournament winners Italics indicates tournament hosts Source: PlayerTournament(s)1950 FIFA World Cup 1954 FIFA World Cup 1958 FIFA World Cup1962 FIFA World Cup1966 FIFA World Cup UEFA Euro 1968 1970 FIFA World CupUEFA Euro 19801982 FIFA World Cup1986 FIFA World Cup UEFA Euro 1988 1990 FIFA World CupUEFA Euro 1992UEFA Euro 19961998 FIFA World Cup UEFA Euro 20002002 FIFA World Cup UEFA Euro 2004 2006 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup UEFA Euro 2012 2014 FIFA World CupUEFA Euro 20162018 FIFA World Cup 2018–19 UEFA Nations League UEFA Euro 2020 2020–21 UEFA Nations League 2022–23 UEFA Nations League 2022 FIFA World Cup UEFA Euro 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup

Women's team Captain chronology

Bold indicates current captain Italics indicates still-active players indicates player was captain for matches under the Women's Football Association

TenureIncumbentReserve captains1972–19761976– (née McCune)1983: WFA becomes a "County Association" of The Football Association–1985 (née McCune)1985– 1990–1993: The team becomes incorporated into The Football Association–1997–20002000–20012001–2002 , 2002–2003 2002–2012 FA profile of Faye White The FA. Retrieved 31 July 2015., , , , 2012–2014 , , , , 2014–2022 , , , , , , , , , , 2022–present , , , , ,

Captains by tournament Bold indicates tournament winners Italics indicates tournament hosts PlayerTournament(s) (née McCune)1979 European Competition for Women's Football 1981 Mundialito 1984 European Competition for Women's Football 1984 Mundialito 1985 Mundialito 1987 European Competition for Women's Football 1988 Mundialito UEFA Women's Euro 19951995 FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA Women's Euro 2001 UEFA Women's Euro 2005 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA Women's Euro 2009 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA Women's Euro 2013 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA Women's Euro 2017 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup UEFA Women's Euro 2022 2023 Women's Finalissima 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League UEFA Women's Euro 2025

Captains by appearances as captain Figures include all recognised matches up to match played 3 October 2026. Only confirmed captaincies of named captains are counted.

The default order for this list is by most appearances as captain, then chronological order of first captaincy.

Bold indicates permanent captain of England

Sources unless specified:Men's matches (Englandfootballonline.com indices):; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;