Marcus Rashford has faced criticism for an incident described as “blatant cheating” during England’s 3-0 win over Latvia in a World Cup qualifier. The Manchester United winger, currently on loan at Aston Villa, went down in the penalty area under a challenge from Roberts Savalnieks, but referee Orel Grinfeeld dismissed his appeal for a spot-kick. Former FIFA referee Keith Hackett labeled Rashford’s actions as simulation and argued that he should have been shown a yellow card for attempting to deceive the official.
“The action by Rashford is blatant cheating, and given the correct decision not to award the appealed penalty kick, he should have issued a yellow card to Rashford for an act of simulation attempting to deceive the referee,” Hackett told Football Insider. He also urged football authorities to take stronger action against such incidents to deter players from seeking penalties through dishonest means.
Despite the controversy, England secured a comfortable victory, with Reece James opening the scoring with a stunning free-kick in the 38th minute. Harry Kane added a second in the 68th minute, and substitute Eberechi Eze sealed the win with his first international goal. Rashford, who created six chances during the match, was substituted late in the game to applause from the Wembley crowd.
The 27-year-old will now return to Aston Villa, where he faces a busy schedule, including an FA Cup quarter-final against Preston North End and crucial Premier League fixtures against Brighton and Nottingham Forest, followed by a Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.