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Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was given his first start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday but struggled to make a significant impact. The England international had been used as a substitute in the opening two fixtures of the tournament.

Rashford found the net in England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia but was unable to influence proceedings in the goalless draw with Ghana. With Anthony Gordon failing to deliver in the left-forward position, there were growing calls for Rashford to be included from the start against Panama this weekend.

Before the match, England manager Thomas Tuchel explained why Rashford had been restricted to cameo appearances so far, despite coming off an impressive season. The 28-year-old had produced 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions during his loan spell at Barcelona in the 2025/26 campaign.

Eventually, Tuchel bowed to the pressure and included Rashford in the starting lineup for England’s final group-stage clash against Panama at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

The German tactician made five changes to the side that drew with Ghana, bringing in Rashford, Jarell Quansah, Nico O’Reilly, Morgan Rogers, and Bukayo Saka. Rashford showed glimpses of his attacking flair early on, but Panama matched England’s intensity, and the first half ended without goals.

The Three Lions stepped up their tempo after the interval, with Jude Bellingham opening the scoring from a corner in the 62nd minute. Five minutes later, Harry Kane doubled the advantage, assisted by Bellingham.

England had further opportunities to extend their lead, while Panama saw a goal disallowed for offside. Tuchel’s side held firm to record the win, topping Group L at the end of the group stage.

Rashford completed the full 90 minutes and came close to scoring on a few occasions but finished the match without a goal or assist.

Over the course of the match, Rashford registered 63 touches and completed 34 of his 42 passes, achieving a passing accuracy of 81%. He attempted six crosses, none of which found a teammate, though both his long passes reached their targets.

The United attacker created one key chance and took five shots, one of which was on target. He attempted six dribbles, successfully beating his opponent twice, and also contributed one tackle.

However, Rashford won only three of his nine ground duels and lost possession 20 times — the highest figure among all players on the pitch. Fortunately for England, Panama failed to capitalise on those errors.

According to Sofascore, Rashford’s subdued display against Panama will likely disappoint Manchester United’s management, who had been hoping a strong World Cup would boost his market value ahead of the summer. The forward will have another opportunity to impress when England face Congo in the Round of 32 next week, though he may once again start from the bench.