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New Delhi: England and Wales players wore nameless shirts in the second half of their international friendly match at Wembley on October 10. The Three Lions did the same in their friendly game against Belgium in March 2024, which saw Jude Bellingham score a 95th-minute equaliser in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
The players were also accompanied by adult mascots instead of children ahead of kick-off, with 22 fans walking out onto the Wembley turf and joining the squads for the national anthems.
This happened to raise awareness about dementia. As part of a dedicated "Alzheimer’s Society International" fixture, the players wore nameless shirts to draw attention to memory loss, the primary and most commonly associated symptom of the disease.
Ahead of the match, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said that their partnership with Alzheimer's Society continues to raise vital funds and awareness for those impacted by dementia, and the 22 people living with a diagnosis will walk out at Wembley Stadium alongside the national teams to ensure this message resonates more than ever.
England registered their eighth successive win against Wales with a dominant 3-0 victory. Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka scored goals for the Three Lions.
They made a brilliant start, as Anthony Gordon found some space in the box, but his effort was saved by the legs of Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow, which resulted in a corner that brought the breakthrough after just three minutes. Marc Guéhi excellently kept the ball alive from a John Stones header and then found Rogers, who scored the opening goal.
England doubled the lead just eight minutes later, as Watkins netted from close range after Aston Villa teammate Rogers provided a dangerous ball, and Bukayo Saka scored the third goal in the 20th minute of the match.
Wales avoided further damage and did improve slightly after the break, but will already have had one eye on next Monday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Belgium in Cardiff.
England will take on Latvia next Tuesday, where they could clinch top spot in their group and automatic qualification for next year's World Cup in North America.
Jordan Pickford surpassed the record he previously shared with England legend Gordon Banks to become the first keeper to achieve eight consecutive clean sheets in 90-minute appearances for the men's team.
