Why do footballers "win caps"? Because it was, literally, a hat.
THE DESK — NOTES & REMARKS
FOUNDATIONS: INTERNATIONAL. Photo: Matt Brown / CC BY 2.0. Some period caps shown are AI-generated reconstructions, disclosed in the caption (standing default for this film).
THE LOWDOWN — THE FULL HISTORY
THE HAT
At the first international (1872) England wore caps and Scotland red cowls; headwear was part of the kit.
THE PROPOSAL
In 1886 N. Lane Jackson proposed that England players receive a white silk cap embroidered with a red rose.
THE UNIT
The word became the count: seventy appearances, seventy caps. England still presents the physical cap.
THE CATCH
Roger Hunt played every England match of 1966; the National Football Museum holds one cap commemorating the tournament. Wayne Rooney's 100th came in gold.
MORE FROM FOUNDATIONS: INTERNATIONAL
THE TERRACES — DISCUSSION
The argument also lives in the YouTube comments ↗.