England head coach Thomas Tuchel has issued a strong message to Marcus Rashford, insisting the forward “can be one of the best in the world.” Speaking before England’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Latvia, Tuchel called on Rashford to push himself further and match his talent with consistent output.
The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Barcelona, where he has delivered important contributions during the 2025/26 season. His improved form has also earned him a return to the national team after missing Euro 2024.
Tuchel: “He has to keep pushing himself”
Tuchel believes Rashford’s ability gives him a higher ceiling than most players — but says only hard work can make it a reality. “That is the headline for him,” Tuchel said ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Latvia on Tuesday.
“To keep on pushing himself to the limit. The limit for him is very, very high. Maybe higher than for others. He has the potential, but potential is a dangerous word with high-level sports.
“You have to reach your personal best on a regular basis. It’s not a question of talent, it’s a question of whether he can prove the point at club and international level. Whether he starts for us or comes off the bench he has to constantly prove himself.
“He can be one of the best in the world. The quality I see in training, the finishing with both legs and with the head. He is explosive, he is fast, he is strong in the air so where are the limits? There are no limits, but the numbers don’t reach the potential. He needs to push himself into goal involvements. That means goals and assists. He knows that from me.”
Tuchel emphasized that this stage of Rashford’s career is critical. “He still has to make these decisions. He is in that moment, he is young enough to take the right decisions and not let go. Otherwise, he will be disappointed in 10 years at what could have been and what he made of it.”
A Loan Spell That Sparked a Turnaround
Rashford’s resurgence began after leaving Manchester United, where he had fallen out of favour with Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese manager had previously said Rashford was not giving his “maximum” in training.
A switch to Barcelona gave him a fresh start, and he has responded with key performances — notably scoring twice against Newcastle United in the Champions League.
Tuchel also highlighted Rashford’s earlier decision to join Aston Villa on loan in the second half of the 2024/25 season as an important step in his revival.
“That was quite a bold move because to go in a working team, and a team that was well settled and played a hard-working style, that was a very, very good move for him and he settled in very quickly,” Tuchel said.
Goals and Assists the Next Big Step
While Tuchel values Rashford’s off-the-ball contribution, he believes the forward must now deliver more in the final third.
“For the work-rate against the ball I selected him,” Tuchel said. “And still he had not as many goals and not as many goal involvements as he could have. He creates quite a lot of chances, but for the quality and finishing that we see with training, he just doesn’t score enough. That’s the next step.”
A victory over Latvia on Tuesday would confirm England’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Rashford’s impact could play a decisive role in that outcome.
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