Marcus Rashford steals the show as England secure place in World Cup last 16

Marcus Rashford was the star of the show as England secured their place in the last 16 of the World Cup after a 3-0 win over Wales on Tuesday night.

Going into the last round of matches in Group B, England knew they only needed a point against Rob Page’s side to guarantee a place in the next round.

Wales however were tasked with a tough assignment as they needed to beat England by four or more goals in order to get themselves through.

The first 15 minutes of the match were tightly contested as Rashford squandered a huge chance to put his side ahead after being put through by Harry Kane. However, Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward was on hand to deny the Manchester United star.

Page’s side never managed to lay a glove on England as they were pegged back for most of the first half which ended 0-0.

Five minutes into the second period, England finally found the go-ahead goal. Phil Foden was fouled on the edge of the area and Rashford smashed in the resulting free kick in spectacular style.

Just two minutes later, England’s lead was doubled courtesy of Foden who finished off a fine move from Southgate’s side.

At this point, England were cruising as Wales looked shellshocked and dejected.

Rashford then scored his second of the match in the 68th minute. He picked up the ball on the right-hand side, cut in onto his left foot and unleashed a shot past Ward, who in truth should have done better.

In the 75th minute, Rashford was taken off and replaced by Jack Grealish. On his way off, Rashford deservedly received a huge round of applause from the fans.

As a result of the 3-0 victory, England are in the last 16 of the competition as group winners, with a tough test against Senegal on the horizon.

The champions of Africa managed to their place in the knockout stages after beating Ecuador 2-1 in the Group A finale, thanks to goals from Ismaila Sarr and Kalidou Koulibaly.

For Wales, it has been a disappointing tournament as they were expected to follow England into the next round. However, they were not able to live up to the expectations as they failed to win a single group game as they finished bottom of Group B.

How far do you think England can go in the World Cup? Let us know in the comments.