Marcus Rashford is set to potentially face off against one of his closest childhood friends, Axel Tuanzebe, when England plays DR Congo in the World Cup's last-32 stage. The match is scheduled for Wednesday.
Rashford is expected to start for England, managed by Thomas Tuchel, while Tuanzebe will be a part of DR Congo's defense. Both players are 28 years old and have known each other since attending Ashton on Mersey School in Sale.
Rashford has previously shared photographs from their school days, which also included future professional footballers James Dunne and Tosin Kehinde. Both Rashford and Tuanzebe progressed through the youth ranks at Manchester United, eventually breaking into the first team. Rashford made 426 appearances for the club, whereas Tuanzebe played 37 times before embarking on loan spells and a permanent move to Ipswich Town.
Tuanzebe, who currently plays for Burnley, took a different international path than Rashford. After representing England at youth levels, Tuanzebe switched his allegiance to DR Congo in 2024. Born in Bunia, DR Congo, he emigrated with his parents in 2002. He has since become an integral defender for DR Congo, a team that also features former England youth international Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The 28-year-old defender scored the winning goal in DR Congo's 1-0 play-off victory against Jamaica in March, securing their first World Cup qualification since 1974. Tuanzebe has spoken about the significance of DR Congo's performances for a nation still affected by prolonged conflict.
'I'm not a politician, but the joy that I can bring to Congo is through football,' Tuanzebe told Sky Sports. 'For Congo, it's all about trying to take the right steps forward and thinking about how I can affect that personally. I can affect it through my platform of football.' He added that the country's political issues often stem from its exploitation due to mineral wealth. 'The world shouldn't be like this. I think we have enough intelligence, enough resources around the world to ensure that everybody lives a comfortable life. But it's the world we live in. So all I can do is put my two cents in there as a footballer, and hopefully it can help make a movement or spark a change into a better life and a better world. It does feel like a responsibility.'
Tuanzebe has played every minute of DR Congo's World Cup campaign so far. The team secured a 1-1 draw with Portugal, lost 1-0 to Colombia, and defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 to advance from their group. He could now be tasked with marking his former classmate if Rashford is selected to start for England on Wednesday.