Marcus Rashford's World Cup Battle: Fighting for a Role in England
Marcus Rashford has spent the last year rebuilding his reputation in Spain. Now, as England settle into their World Cup base in Kansas City, he finds himself fighting for a place all over again.
The Manchester United forward, fresh from a highly productive loan spell at Barcelona, is reportedly set to miss out on a starting role in England’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday night. For a player who has just delivered 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions, it is a harsh reminder of how quickly the landscape can shift at the top level.
Gordon gets the nod
Thomas Tuchel, preparing for his first major tournament in charge of the Three Lions, is expected to hand the left-wing berth to new Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon, according to the Daily Mail. It is a bold call, but also a revealing one.
Gordon and Rashford both favour that left channel, driving inside onto their stronger foot, attacking full-backs with pace. Tuchel’s preference for Gordon there points towards a clear hierarchy, at least for now. Rashford’s route into the XI suddenly looks crowded.
He could, in theory, be redeployed elsewhere across the front line, yet all indications suggest he will start on the bench against Croatia. From there, he will have to influence the game in bursts, not from the first whistle but from the shadows of the technical area, waiting for his moment.
From Barcelona high to England uncertainty
The contrast with his club form is striking. At Barcelona, Rashford rediscovered his edge. Fourteen goals, fourteen assists: the numbers told a story of a player who had regained his confidence and end product. That form helped secure his seat on the plane to North America and, for a time, seemed to smooth his future path.
Then came a twist.
Barcelona moved decisively in the market to sign Gordon from Newcastle in a £69 million deal. That transfer did more than strengthen their squad. It cast immediate doubt over whether the Spanish club would trigger the £26 million option to make Rashford’s loan from United permanent.
The ripple effect has been felt back in Manchester. Rashford’s future at Old Trafford, already complicated, now sits on even shakier ground. With Gordon installed at the Camp Nou, Barcelona’s need for another left-sided forward has diminished. The permanent move that once looked like a logical next step now hangs by a thread.
Carrick on the line
Amid the uncertainty, Rashford has not been passive. Reports on Sunday claimed he has already explored the possibility of returning to United’s first-team squad next season and has been in regular contact with manager Michael Carrick.
Those conversations matter. Carrick, attempting to reshape United in his own image, must decide whether there is a place for a rejuvenated Rashford in his plans or whether the club will look to cash in, even without Barcelona’s clause being activated. For Rashford, it is about more than minutes. It is about identity: is he still a United player at heart, or has his career already begun to move beyond Old Trafford?
Fighting for a role in Qatar
On international duty, the battle is more immediate. Rashford featured in both of England’s pre-World Cup friendlies against New Zealand and Costa Rica, but the pattern there also hinted at Tuchel’s thinking. He started one and then dropped to the bench for the second, where Gordon was preferred from the outset.
Tuchel has never been shy about difficult selections. His decision in Dallas will be framed as tactical, but for Rashford it will feel personal. A player who has fought his way back into form now has to fight again just to get on the pitch.
Even so, a World Cup rarely follows the script of the opening team sheet. England’s group, with Ghana and Panama to come after Croatia, offers scope for rotation, for impact substitutes, for redemption arcs. Rashford knows that tournaments are often defined by those who seize their moment off the bench and refuse to let go.
If he does start among the substitutes on Wednesday, his job will be clear: change the game, remind Tuchel of his value, and force the conversation for the next fixture.
The stage is set in North America. His club future is up in the air, his international status under threat. For Marcus Rashford, this World Cup could decide not only his role with England, but where he calls home when the new season kicks off.
