When Thomas Tuchel named Noni Madueke in England's starting eleven for their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia, it marked the latest chapter in one of the season's most dramatic personal turnarounds.

Just over a year ago, Madueke completed a move to Arsenal from Chelsea for around £50 million — only to be met with a fan petition and a #NoToMadueke campaign across social media. Twelve months on, the 24-year-old is a Premier League champion and a World Cup starter.

From petition to title winner

Madueke played a significant part in helping Mikel Arteta's Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years, making 43 appearances across all competitions and contributing eight goals and four assists. His campaign was not without setbacks — a knee injury and competition from Bukayo Saka limited him to 16 league starts — but his impact was undeniable.

He also provided a memorable moment in the UEFA Champions League final, coming off the bench to replace Saka as Arsenal fell to Paris-St Germain on penalties.

A World Cup audition against Croatia

Against Croatia, Madueke was one of England's most effective performers in a 4-2 victory. He registered five touches inside the opposition penalty area, completed his only attempted dribble, and won the penalty that Harry Kane converted to give England the lead.

His four passes to Kane were the joint most in the England team, level with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford — a detail that speaks to how central he was to Tuchel's gameplan.

Tuchel has built his England around Kane, deploying energetic wide players who run in behind defensive lines to create space for the Bayern Munich forward to drop deep and dictate play. Madueke, starting on the right wing alongside Anthony Gordon on the left, fitted that blueprint with precision.