England's Eberechi Eze made his World Cup debut earlier this week. He came on as a substitute against Ghana. Eze is now hoping to get more of a chance to show what he can do in the tournament.

What happened?

Eze felt “blessed” to get his World Cup debut. Thomas Tuchel gave him a gee-up message on the touchline. Eze said: “Go out, enjoy it, try to win the game, really focus on what you are trying to do.”

Why it matters for England

Eze is not feeling any fatigue or tiredness from the gruelling season. He is motivated and Arsenal’s title has given him new confidence. Eze added: “For me personally I don't need much more motivation than the tournament; I am motivated and love playing football so I am ready.”

What comes next?

Marcus Rashford is pushing to start in England’s final Group match with Panama. Rashford has only played a total of 27 minutes in England’s World Cup campaign. | Stat | Value | | --- | --- | | Last result | England 4-2 Croatia (2026-06-17) | | Recent form | 2W-0D-2L (WWLL, most recent first) | | Next fixture | vs Spain (at home, 2026-09-26) | Eze also picked out an unexpected team when asked about Spain and who has impressed him. He added: “I think there are a lot of good teams and so many games, I enjoyed watching the Ivory Coast, they are so strong and positive.”