Massachusetts [US], June 24 (ANI): England forward Marcus Rashford has equalled the record for the second-most substitute appearances in FIFA World Cup history during his side’s 0-0 draw against Ghana in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 at Boston Stadium on Tuesday (local time).
The Barcelona star achieved the milestone after coming off the bench in the Group L encounter, taking his tally of World Cup substitute appearances to nine, as per the FIFA website.
With this, Rashford now stands joint-second on the all-time list for substitute appearances at the tournament, alongside former Germany international Oliver Neuville.
At the top of the list remains Brazil’s Denilson, who holds the record with 11 substitute appearances in World Cup history.
Across two FIFA World Cup editions (1998 and 2002), Rashford made 12 appearances, including one as a starter and 11 as a substitute, accumulating 374 minutes of playing time. During this period, he registered two assists but did not score any goals.
England were held to a goalless draw by Ghana in their Group L clash at Boston Stadium in the FIFA World Cup 2026, as Carlos Queiroz’s side delivered a disciplined defensive performance to blunt Thomas Tuchel’s attack.
After their earlier 4-2 win over Croatia, England entered the match with momentum and dominated possession throughout. They controlled the tempo, circulated the ball patiently, and looked to break down Ghana’s compact defensive structure. However, Ghana deployed a well-organised five-man backline with strong midfield support, effectively closing spaces in dangerous areas and limiting England’s attacking combinations.
Harry Kane was largely isolated up front, while England’s creative midfielders struggled to penetrate between the lines. Despite their dominance on the ball, England failed to register meaningful attempts on target in the first half, with most efforts coming from distance and failing to trouble Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare. Notably, it was the first match of the tournament without a shot on target in the opening half, according to OptaJoe.
In the second half, Tuchel made several attacking substitutions, introducing Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Eberechi Eze to inject pace and directness. Jude Bellingham was also withdrawn for Morgan Rogers, with the England midfielder reaching a milestone of 50 international caps at just 22 years and 359 days, making him the youngest male player to achieve the feat.
The changes increased England’s urgency, with Saka providing a greater threat down the right flank. However, Ghana remained defensively resolute, consistently clearing danger and blocking key passing lanes to maintain their structure.
England came closest to breaking the deadlock late in the match when substitute Nico O’Reilly struck the crossbar with a powerful header in the 87th minute. Harry Kane followed up on the rebound but sent his effort over the bar from close range.
In stoppage time, Ghana again survived a major scare as they cleared a goal-bound header off the line to preserve their clean sheet.
Despite sustained late pressure, England could not find a breakthrough and had to settle for a draw. The result sees England remain top of Group L with four points from two matches, while Ghana also move to four points and sits second in the group. (ANI)
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