"I felt rusty, to be honest, but I used sort of as a platform for the DR Congo game because I felt I played safe. I wasn't playing to my individual strength and when I got the chance against DR Congo, I just thought to myself 'I'm not doing that, I'm going to do the things that got me here' and obviously it paid off," Anthony Gordon told standard.co.uk.
For England's left winger, the World Cup became the redemptive chance after a summer of frustration. At Euro 2024, Gordon accumulated just six minutes across seven games. One minute came in normal time, five in added time during a group-stage draw with Slovenia. It was barely a tournament platform at all.
Then came the recalibration. Instead of playing tentatively, Gordon returned to the direct, aggressive style that earned him a move to Barcelona this summer. The payoff was immediate.
The Euro waste and the World Cup chance
Gordon's Euro 2024 felt less like a tournament and more like a footnote. Six minutes across the entire campaign. That was his contribution when England's left-wing position was wide open. No proper cameo, no real chance to shift tactics or prove his value. He left as an afterthought.
"I felt like it was a waste of a summer for me. So, I viewed this as an opportunity to make something special out of that number," Gordon said, framing the World Cup as a second chance that could not be squandered.
The DR Congo match gave him that chance. England won 2-1, and Gordon delivered two assists for Harry Kane in just 32 minutes on the pitch. Not a full match. A tactical cameo that rewrote his tournament story in real time.
From impact sub to starter
The DR Congo performance proved Gordon's capability off the bench, but England's later fixtures showed he could sustain excellence over longer stretches. Against Mexico, he played 100 minutes in a 3-2 away victory. He posted a 7.3 rating, his strongest individual performance of the World Cup.
Gordon has accumulated 269 minutes to Rashford's 183 across the tournament. The difference reflects Southgate's tactical preference for Gordon's pace and directness on the left wing. Both arrived at Barcelona this summer under World Cup pressure, but their impact has diverged. Barcelona declined its €30 million option to make Rashford's Manchester United loan permanent, leaving his future unresolved.
Gordon's redemption is not only about the assists or the rating. It is about recognizing what went wrong: the rust, the safe play. He consciously corrected it. At 23, after a European tournament washout, he could have retreated into doubt. Instead, he did what he said he would do—returned to the things that got him there in the first place.
FAQ
Why did Anthony Gordon struggle at Euro 2024?
Gordon appeared in only six minutes across all seven of England's Euro 2024 games—one minute in normal time and five in added time during a group-stage draw with Slovenia. He described it as a waste of a summer and viewed the World Cup as his redemptive chance.
What changed Anthony Gordon's World Cup performance?
Gordon admitted he played safe early on and was not employing his individual strengths. After the group stage, he consciously shifted back to aggressive, direct play—the style that earned him his Barcelona move. The payoff was immediate: two assists in 32 minutes vs DR Congo.
How does Anthony Gordon compare to Marcus Rashford at the World Cup?
Gordon has posted a 6.99 World Cup rating compared to Rashford's 6.59, and has accumulated 269 minutes of play versus Rashford's 183 minutes. Both arrived at Barcelona this summer, but Gordon has seized more impact in England's tournament run.
Can Anthony Gordon sustain his World Cup form?
Gordon's performance vs Mexico—a 7.3 rating across 100 minutes in a 3-2 England victory—suggests he can deliver excellence over longer stretches, not only as an impact substitute. His breakthrough came from returning to the aggressive, individual style that defined his play at Newcastle.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →