Marcus Rashford has rediscovered his best form at FC Barcelona, quickly establishing himself as one of the team’s key players under Hansi Flick in less than six months. As Thomas Tuchel continues shaping England’s final roster, the German manager discussed Rashford’s role with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.
During the October international break, England became the first European nation to clinch qualification for the upcoming World Cup, doing so with a perfect record of 18 points from six matches. With two windows remaining, Tuchel now has the task of testing several players before finalizing his squad for the tournament set to take place in North America.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Tuchel was asked specifically about Rashford’s resurgence ahead of the World Cup: “We are in November now, he’s in a good place, he’s in our squad because he deserves (it). He needs to prove himself in Barcelona every three days, which is good for us. He needs to prove himself in our camps, a normal and right thing to do to bring the best out of him.“
The German coach also outlined his broader approach to squad planning. “It’s still such a long time to go. My head is not in the World Cup and not in the end of the season. We’ll deal with everything when it comes to it, and he’s in a good place now. He’s competitive and that’s why he’s here, and he needs to prove a point in the next two matches,” he concluded.
Marcus Rashford during England’s training.
Back in October, Tuchel had said that Rashford “can be one of the best in the world” if he reaches his full potential. He seems to be doing just that at Barcelona, where his loan deal runs until the end of the 2025–26 season, a situation both the player and club will need to resolve in the near future.
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For the November international break, England’s final competitive games before the World Cup, the Three Lions will face Serbia on Wednesday, November 13, and Albania on Sunday, November 16. Even with qualification already secured, Tuchel remains focused on perfecting his team, and Rashford looks increasingly likely to cement his place in the final squad.
Rashford’s top form at Barcelona
After struggling in recent seasons at Manchester United, Rashford was left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squads and missed Euro 2024. However, under Tuchel, he’s earned a recall, and his performances at Barcelona are proving the manager right.
So far in the 2025–26 campaign, Rashford leads Barcelona in goal contributions with 13 (six goals and seven assists), ahead of Lamine Yamal (12) and Fermín López (10). He’s also turned into the player in Europe’s top 5 leagues with most assists this season, numbers that underline his revival and the growing confidence both Flick and Tuchel have placed in him.
