FIFA World Cup 2022: Rashford put England ahead with a free kick in the 50th minute and followed it up with a tribute to his late friend. Foden added a second a minute later and Rashford made it 3-0 in the 68th. The win secured England first place in the group. The team will face Senegal in Round 16 on Sunday.
In Qatar, Southgate kept Rashford and Foden on the bench for the first two matches against Iran and the United States, with captain Harry Kane alongside Saka and Raheem Sterling up front. Rashford came on as a substitute and scored a goal in the 6-2 win over Iran.
Foden played 19 minutes in that match. Wales, playing in the World Cup for the first time in 64 years, finished last in the group. The United States finished second and will next face the Netherlands, while Iran finished third and was also eliminated.
This could be captain Gareth Bale’s last match for his national team. “It’s a challenge for him,” said Southgate, who led the team to the World Cup semi-finals in Russia four years ago. , Rashford is going through a tumultuous period in his career, compounded by injuries.
He and teammate Bukaya Saka, both black, were racially abused after missing penalties in the shootout at Wembley Stadium. The former Real Madrid man was forced off the field at halftime with a hamstring injury, but Wales coach Rob Page said he expected Bale to continue.
“He wants what’s best for the team. He understands that and he knows that if he went back he would have been playing at about 70%,” Page said. “When you play with a team like that you can’t carry anybody. You can see the joy in his performances with his club and that on the training ground.
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“You can see that. We have a completely different version (of him) at the Euros. It’s great for him and for us.” Marcus Rashford got down on his knees and pointed to the sky. England forward had just scored against Wales at the World Cup, sending his side into the round of 16 in a 3-0 win.
He said his celebration was a tribute to a friend who died recently after a long battle with cancer. It could also be a celebration of breaking into the starting line-up in Qatar. Rashford scored twice at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, making him the co-leading scorer at the World Cup with three goals – France striker Kylian Mbappe scored two more goals England’s Phil Foden received another.
Rashford also played at the last World Cup in 2018 and at the 2020 European Championship, but the 25-year-old Manchester United forward is considered lucky to be included in England coach Gareth Southgate’s squad for this year’s tournament.
