Internationals

Internationals is a term used to describe people who have represented their country in international competition, or teams that compete at the international level. The concept arises from competition between nations and is widely used in sports journalism and fan discourse. In practice, the plural "internationals" is often used to refer to players who have earned international caps or to matches between national teams.

In football (soccer), for example, national team matches are called internationals, and players who participate are described as international players. In rugby union, matches between national teams are known as tests or internationals. In cricket and other sports, international matches may be called Test matches, One Day Internationals, or Twenty20 Internationals, with participants identified as internationals. The exact terminology varies by sport and country, but the general idea is consistent: internationals involve competition between national teams rather than club or individual play.

Beyond athletics, the word can appear in other contexts to denote activities or organizations that involve participants from multiple nations, such as international federations or multinational associations, though this usage is less common as a standalone plural.

See also: international, national team, international match, international competition.