Marcus Rashford called his England recall a "full-circle moment" after making Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad. The forward thanked Unai Emery and Hansi Flick for helping revive his career, but his initial social media post made no mention of Manchester United.
Rashford was left out of Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad. He regained form during loan spells at Aston Villa, where he scored four goals in 17 appearances, and then at Barcelona, tallying 14 goals and 14 assists.
"Today marks a full-circle moment for me, from despair to jubilation," he wrote. "Missing out on that Euros squad helped me grow both as a player and a person." He specifically thanked Emery, Flick, Thomas Tuchel, Aston Villa, Barcelona, and England.
After fans interpreted the omission as a slight, Rashford issued a follow-up: "It's not a dig of any sort! I'm a MU supporter, and that remains." He said he was showing gratitude to the clubs and coaches he worked with over the past 18 months, who played a big role in his recall.
England begin their World Cup campaign on June 17 against Croatia, followed by matches against Ghana and Panama.