The Football Association has been forced to release a statement after a video of young England players fighting in a hotel room went viral on social media.
A 58-second clip showing two boys fighting while being filmed and encouraged by their team-mates surfaced on Wednesday. The violent brawl, in which punches and kicks are thrown, is made all the more shocking by the official England-branded clothing the boys are wearing.
One version of the video has been viewed 12.4 million times since being posted online on Wednesday. In the footage, one boy pushes the other into a bed while holding his neck before throwing punches.
Details of the incident
The aggressor is kicked off and the fighting continues stood up, with one getting the other in a headlock. The fighting is encouraged by those watching, with "f*** him up", "shut the door" and laughing heard.
The FA has now confirmed that the clip is genuine and shows players from the England Under-16s side. "We were made aware of an internal matter during an Under-16s camp in October 2025," an FA spokesperson said. "This was quickly resolved at the time."
Reaction and context
The clip has provoked widespread criticism, with many comments surprised that none of the others in the room tried to intervene.
England's U16s travelled to Turkey to play Turkey, Wales and Portugal in October and November last year. They are coached by Barry Lewtas, who previously spent 12 years working in Liverpool's academy.
