Noni Madueke’s journey from unwanted signing to World Cup starter is one of the more remarkable stories of the football season.
When Arsenal completed his £50m move from Chelsea last summer, supporters launched a petition against the transfer with the hashtag #NoToMadueke spreading widely across social media.
Less than twelve months on, the 24-year-old is a Premier League champion and a starting winger for England at the World Cup in the United States.
Madueke was one of the standout performers in England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in their tournament opener, winning the penalty that Harry Kane converted to give the Three Lions an early lead.
Thomas Tuchel had spoken highly of Madueke when naming his World Cup squad, describing him as a potential “difference-maker” and singling out his “one-on-one ability” as a key weapon.
The Germany manager has been clear that he wants England to play with the physicality and intensity of the Premier League, and that philosophy shaped his squad selection significantly.
Tuchel’s system is built around captain and record goalscorer Kane, with the wingers tasked with running in behind defences to create space for the Bayern Munich striker to drop deep.
Against Croatia, Madueke’s four passes to Kane were the joint most in the England team, level with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, underlining how central he was to Tuchel’s gameplan.
He finished the match with five touches in the opposition box, completed his only attempted dribble, and played a direct role in setting England on their way to victory.
Anthony Gordon started on the opposite flank and the pair’s energetic displays out wide were widely considered among the positives of England’s opening performance.
The situation with Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka adds another layer of intrigue to Madueke’s story, with the two players competing for game time at both club and international level.
Saka, who made his 50th England appearance in the Croatia win, described the dynamic as “unique”, adding “I don’t really know how it works, but it works” when discussing his relationship with Madueke.
Saka is currently managing an Achilles issue he has carried since March and is not expected to start until England’s final Group L match against Panama on Saturday.
At club level, Mikel Arteta found ways to use both players simultaneously, deploying Madueke on the left wing while Saka also featured in the number ten position as Arsenal claimed the title.
Madueke made 43 appearances across all competitions last season, contributing eight goals and four assists, though a knee injury and competition from Saka restricted him to just 16 league starts.
He also provided a moment to remember in the Champions League final, coming off the bench to replace Saka before Arsenal ultimately fell to Paris St-Germain on penalties.
That impact from the bench is a role he may find himself in again should England progress deep into the tournament, but for now Madueke is making a strong case to be considered far more than a squad player.
With a likely start against Ghana on Tuesday, the Arsenal winger has another opportunity to show that the petition-signers from last summer got it very wrong.
