England goalkeeper Chris Gordon is preparing for a unique family showdown at the Powerchair Football World Cup in Buenos Aires, where he will compete against a team managed by his own father, Colin Gordon. Competing in his fourth World Cup for the national side, Gordon Jr faces tournament hosts Argentina this Sunday with his dad directing tactics from the opposite dugout.
Colin, a former professional striker who represented Birmingham City, Fulham, and Leicester City across the 1980s and 1990s before working as a football agent, initially entered the sport through his son. The pair spent several years working together at West Brom before Colin coached Chris on the international stage, guiding England all the way to the 2023 World Cup final, where they were edged out on penalties by France. Now in charge of Argentina, Colin will find himself on the rival touchline, though Kidderminster-based Chris insisted that bragging rights will belong to him, backing England to come out on top.
Powerchair football is a fast-paced four-a-side sport played on a basketball court using a larger football and powered wheelchairs fitted with front bumpers to pass, dribble, and shoot. Ten nations—including Australia, Japan, Uruguay, and defending finalists France—are contesting this year's tournament, which begins on Saturday and concludes with the final on Friday 23 October. All fixtures are being streamed live on YouTube, with England entering the competition among the key front-runners alongside the United States and France.
England head coach Adam McEvoy, who took the helm in 2024, is fielding a balanced lineup featuring both rising talent and seasoned veterans. The squad includes 17-year-old Peterborough winger Dan McLellan, participating in his second World Cup after taking over the Aspire PFC club captaincy from Jon Bolding. Reading-based captain Bolding is now contesting his fifth World Cup after 25 years in the game, aiming to add a global title to the European Championship England secured in 2019.