Manchester United stars Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard believe England will win the World Cup — but the women might lift the trophy before the men.
The England players believe both the Lionesses and the men’s team have what it takes to achieve World Cup glory, but with the women’s team heading off to their global tournament in France next month while the fellas have to wait until 2022 they could be the first to bring football's greatest prize home.
Speaking at the recent Pride of Manchester awards, striker Rashford backed the Lionesses, saying: “They have been doing well recently. They are a positive team and if they can take that into the tournament they can do well.”
Club and country colleague Jesse Lingard has no doubts the men’s team, semi-finalists in Russia last summer, can go all the way when they get another crack at a World Cup, in Qatar in three years' time.
He said: “We will win the next World Cup. I am positive.”
Both players agreed that representing their country is the pinnacle of their careers, and they want to use their football talents to inspire other young people to chase their own dreams and goals in life.
Rashford said playing for England had been his lifelong dream.
“For me it has been a dream since I was about as old as you are,” he explained. “So to finally make that step is a massive achievement, not only for yourself, but for your family and friends. It is a big thing.”
Lingard agreed, saying: “I think if you are a young lad or a young girl you want to be the best and get to the top.
As a footballer when you get there you can help a lot of people, inspire a lot of people and that is what we like doing. We want to inspire other young people to get to their goals.”
And they said they try to ignore any abuse they get from fans on the pitch, and instead focus on their game, not any chants or name-calling.
Lingard said: “You pretend not to hear, you try not to listen and concentrate on the game.
"It is someone’s opinion.”
