Walcott names Rashford as England's must-start star at 2026 World Cup

Theo Walcott insists Marcus Rashford must start England's opening World Cup matches due to his recent standout performances.

Rashford's England future Theo Walcott, a former England winger, has identified Marcus Rashford as the player he is most excited to see at the 2026 World Cup. Rashford was excluded from the Euro 2024 squad and missed a full year of international duty between March 2024 and 2025. Since returning under Thomas Tuchel, he has played in every England squad except June 2025 due to a hamstring injury. A loan move to Barcelona revitalized his career, where he scored 14 goals and provided 14 assists in 47 appearances. ## Barcelona loan impact Rashford’s time at Barcelona has transformed his career, with the 28-year-old Manchester United forward thriving in La Liga. Walcott praised his performance in England’s recent 1-0 win over New Zealand, noting Rashford’s creativity and confidence. Tuchel made no secret of his first-choice lineup against New Zealand, though Walcott still believes Rashford deserves a starting role. Walcott said, "Rashford this year has been outstanding. I've watched him quite a lot. I found the love of watching Barcelona again and took more of an interest with Rashford going out there." ## Walcott's praise for Rashford Walcott emphasized that Rashford should be a certainty to start at the World Cup based on his current form. He highlighted Rashford’s freedom and joy on the pitch, stressing the importance of seeing his trademark smile. During the New Zealand match, Rashford created five scoring chances in the first half, showing his influence. Walcott added, "He would be a dead cert to start for me. The way he’s played, that freedom, that enjoyment. We want to see that smile." ## England's World Cup hopes Walcott believes Rashford will be a key figure for England in the tournament, expressing excitement about his potential impact. He commended Rashford’s decision to play abroad, calling it a display of character and courage. Walcott said, "Rashford's going to be a major part of this tournament. I'm looking forward to watching him. Out of all the players, I'm most psyched about him. I think he's brave to go abroad - it's great when English players go." He also noted that he wasn’t brave enough to take such a step himself. ## Rashford's club future Rashford’s permanent move to Barcelona remains uncertain, with the Catalan club having until 15 June — two days before England’s World Cup opener against Croatia — to finalize a £26m deal. He was substituted at halftime against New Zealand as Tuchel made wholesale changes for the second half. England legend and Manchester United’s all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney reflected on Rashford’s decline at Old Trafford, calling it unfortunate. ## Rooney's Old Trafford reflections Rooney expressed sadness over Rashford leaving Manchester United, despite understanding the need for change. He acknowledged Rashford’s potential to break his club scoring record and praised his talent. Rooney said, "I think it's a shame that he left Manchester United - he's a Manchester lad. He's the one player who's got a chance to get my record there. Records are there for someone to break and for a Manchester lad to do it, I think would be great." Rooney also noted that Rashford’s struggles at United were likely due to needing a fresh start. ## England's trophy-winning squad Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, and Jermain Defoe discussed England’s squad strength ahead of the World Cup, highlighting the club success of key players. Defoe pointed to the squad’s tournament experience from winning trophies, including Arsenal’s Premier League title and Villa’s Europa League victory. He said, "They've got tournament experience now. Not only tournament experience, but getting to finals, being in touching distance. So the squad have to go into it confident." Defoe added that England must believe they can compete at the highest level. ## England as tournament favorites Defoe suggested other nations will view England as serious contenders, citing the quality of the current squad. He said teams like France and Argentina will consider England among their biggest threats. Defoe added, "They have to believe they can get over the line. They have to believe they can compete against other nations. We can talk about France and Argentina, but they'll be talking about England." Rooney echoed this confidence, praising Thomas Tuchel’s squad selection. ## Tuchel's squad decisions Rooney admitted he would have made different choices than Tuchel regarding player selections but stressed the need to trust the manager. He cited Tuchel’s omission of Harry Maguire and inclusion of other players as strategic decisions. Rooney said, "He's obviously thought about what squad he's going to pick and why. There will be reasons why he hasn't taken Cole Palmer or Phil Foden or Maguire and why he's taken others - but I trust him." Rooney emphasized backing Tuchel entirely. ## World Cup ambition Walcott believes Tuchel is fully committed to winning the World Cup, noting his confidence despite the challenge. Tuchel aims to become the first England manager since Sir Alf Ramsey to lift the trophy, ending a 60-year drought. Walcott said, "I think deep down he believes he can do it, otherwise he wouldn't have committed to this. It's going to be tough, but you've got to believe." Rooney concluded that England have both the talent and the chance to win the tournament.