Marcus Rashford, the unexpected hero of England in Qatar who forgets racist insults with goals

Marcus Rashford He is a different footballer and his last years have been the same, as if his life were on top of the train that goes at full speed on the roller coaster. He was the hero who fought against child malnutrition, then the villain for missing a decisive penalty in the Eurocup final and this Tuesday, in the 3-0 win over Walesentered the history of England by scoring the hundredth goal for his team in the World Cup.

His double also helped him become the top scorer for the British team and one of the top scorers in the World Cup. He has three, the same as the French kylian mbappethe Ecuadorian Enner Valencia (already out of the race after the elimination of ‘La Tri’) and the dutch Cody Gakpo.

But that’s Marcus, 25, who in 2016 became the third youngest player to score for the national team, behind two storied names: Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen. A touched footballer who grew up in the bowels of Manchester United and at the time was pointed out as one of the future stars who would take the throne from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but who later faded away.

It is the second World Cup of the extreme. The first was in Russia 2018 in which he played six of the seven games at the age of 21, but failed to score. Today, more curdled, with more experience, he became the team’s goalscorer. Yes Harry Kane He is with the goal closed, but with the quality intact to assist (he has two goal passes), Rashford is calmly capable of assuming the role of scorer. He is showing it.

Happiness is on the side of the striker and the English team. Nine points out of nine played to become one of the potential candidates to win the most coveted trophy. But just a year and a half ago, Marcus was a villain. And he was unfairly mistreated with many messages of racism.

Rashford and the penalty that sentenced him

In July 2021, the English Football Association (FA) said it was “dismayed” Y “disgusted” for the racist comments spread on social networks against the players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after the defeat of the England team against Italy in the Eurocup final.

All three players failed on penalties after the tense final ended 1-1 after extra time. So Italy snatched England’s 55-year-old dream of winning the Euros and claimed their second trophy.

They were the ones pointed out, victims of countless racist messages and acts. Their skin color, of course, was the best excuse to try to offend them. They forgot that Marcus fought for the children who were starving, that he did not hesitate to turn against the government of his country demanding something that no one dares to do.

“I can criticize my performance all day, my penalty wasn’t good enough, I should have gone in, but I will never apologize for who I am and where I come from.”Rashord noted. “I have never felt more proud than wearing those three lions (those of the English coat of arms) on my chest and seeing my family cheering me on among thousands of people”he added.

“I felt like I had let my teammates and everybody down. A penalty was all I was asked to contribute to the team. I can score penalties, even asleep but why not that one? Ever since I kicked, I haven’t stopped thinking about it, and there probably isn’t a word that describes what I feel. ended.

A year and a half later, in QatarFar from his native and beloved Manchester, Marcus is forging his path for his revenge. He wants to take his team to the top and he is achieving it based on goals, not just dribbling at pure speed.

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