Why are England players wearing black armbands against Greece?

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Bukayo Saka of England during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between England and Finland at on September 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) Why are England wearing black armbands against Greece
(Image credit: Getty Images)

England play Greece at Wembley on Thursday night, in the Three Lions' third match of their Nations League campaign.

Interim manager Lee Carsley will want to continue a strong start that saw his England squad win 2-0 against both the Republic of Ireland and Finland, though Greece have also picked up six points from their opening two games.

But why are England players wearing black armbands during the game? FourFourTwo explains the reasons behind the move below.

Why are England players wearing black armbands against Greece?

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Detailed view of a black armband worn in tribute to former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who passed away on 26 August 2024, during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League B Group B2 match between England and Finland at Wembley Stadium on September 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

England are wearing black armbands (Image credit: Getty Images)

Players from both England and Greece will wear black armbands at Wembley on Thursday night, to pay respect to former Sheffield United defender George Baldock, who sadly died on Wednesday.

The exact details of his death remain unknown, though the 31-year-old was found in the pool of his house in Athens. After rushing to the scene, a doctor in the response unit pronounced him dead on Wednesday evening.

A Greek international through his grandmother, Baldock played 12 times for the national team between 2022 and 2024. He made his debut against Northern Ireland in June 2022, though he had failed to make a squad since March earlier this year.

Sheffield United season preview 2023/24 George Baldock of Sheffield during the pre-season friendly match between Derby County and Sheffield United at Pride Park on July 29, 2023 in Derby, United Kingdom. (Photo by SportImage/Getty Images)

Baldock playing for Sheffield United (Image credit: Getty Images)

After leaving Sheffield United in the summer, having made 219 appearances in all competitions for the Blades since 2017, Baldock joined Panathinaikos on a three-year deal. He also played for MK Dons, Northampton Town and Oxford United during his career.

England and Greece's players will pay tribute to Baldock through the black armbands.

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Baldock's family released a statement on Thursday: "We can confirm that George has sadly passed away. As a family we are in shock at this terrible loss. We ask please that the media respect our privacy at this time."

Panathinaikos also posted their own statement: "We are shocked, we are shocked by the loss of our George. The family of Panathinaikos mourns his untimely death. We stand with the family and loved ones of George Baldock.”

Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.