England beat Wales 3-0 at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, November 29, and fans have singled out Phil Foden's efforts, with some comparing him to Lionel Messi. The midfielder was key in unlocking the attack for Gareth Southgate's men, and his all-round brilliance won the fans over.
Taking to Twitter, supporters hailed Foden, who racked up a goal in a perfect outing that saw the Three Lions end the game without conceding. He also drew a foul which resulted in a goal-scoring freekick. Notably, the Manchester City man had not played a FIFA World Cup match for England prior to their clash against Wales.
However, his remarkable performances led fans to clamor for the midfielder to play more for England, as they praised his Messi-esque skills. Here is a selection of their tweets:
2022 FIFA World Cup: England blow past Wales as Phil Foden provides a Messi-esque performance
England came out winners against the Welsh Dragons in the final Group B game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The English came out as comfortable winners on the day, partly due to Foden's Messi-like brilliance and Marcus Rashford's brace.
Wales came into the game knowing that qualification for the next round was close to impossible and set out to grind a decent result from the fixture. They managed to hold England to a stalemate in the first half, with Rob Page's men only conceding one chance.
The best chance in the first half fell to Rashford after 10 minutes but he drew a fine save from shot-stopper Danny Ward. The Manchester United forward made amends for that miss in the 50th minute when he opened the scoring with a brilliant free-kick into the top right corner. It was Foden's brilliant Messi-esque dribble that drew the foul for Rashford's freekick goal.
England quickly doubled their lead through Foden a minute later after Harry Kane found him with a smart pass. Things got worse for Wales, with their stalwart defense in the first half a distant memory. Gareth Southgate’s men made it 3-0 in the 68th minute as Rashford completed his brace.
The Three Lions will now proceed to the Round of 16 and play Group A runner-up Senegal on December 4. Wales, meanwhile, capped off a poor tournament and finished bottom of the table with only one point.