What happened to Marcus Rashford?

🤔​ And why I realized that wasn’t the question I needed to ask.

Happy Friday, everyone!

The other day, I caught myself thinking, “What happened to Marcus Rashford?”

During the Covid pandemic, his actions struck a chord with me. His posture, decisions, and actions then resonated deeply; they aligned with convictions and beliefs I’d held for a long time, and it was exciting to see everything unfold and witness the impact ripple across the football world and beyond. I even wrote something about it back in B.S. (before Substack) times, which you can find here. For a while after that, Rashford became my go-to example of an athlete who creates lasting impact and elevates their brand through genuine purpose.

Over the past year, or maybe even a bit before that, it seemed like Marcus Rashford went quieter on advocacy and impact-related topics, and, to be very honest, he fell off my radar. I was aware that he wasn’t in the best form at Manchester United, so I just assumed he was choosing to keep a lower profile on multiple fronts. So, back to my original question, I did what any good millennial would do: I Googled it. Here’s what I found out:

• Early this year, Rashford wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune, reclaiming the narrative of his life and work in response to media portrayals.

• Late last year, as you might remember from The Good Links list, he also launched a social impact project with Nike and Football Beyond Borders. This initiative “leverages the power of soccer to help 11–12-year-old girls and boys discover their unique strengths, build connections, and dream big.”

• It seems he’s still active as a brand ambassador in the luxury fashion space.

• According to The Athletic, he’s changed PR firms a few times in recent years to pursue different brand management goals, including expanding his presence and addressing increasing public criticism.

• His performance on the pitch is falling short of the expectations set by the fans and the media.

At first, my curiosity about what Rashford had been up to was mixed with frustration that the backlash he’d been facing might have led him to step back from his advocacy and impact work. Even if that were the case, I couldn’t blame him. After all, it’s often those who choose to show up who become the easiest and most frequent targets for criticism. As he put it in his own article:

I think some of it goes back to the pandemic. I was just trying to use my voice to make sure that kids weren’t going hungry, because I know exactly how it feels. For some reason, that seemed to rub certain people the wrong way. It seems like they’ve been waiting for me to have a human moment so they can point the finger and say, “See? See who he really is?”

As I researched and reflected, I realized I should first ask myself why I even wanted or needed to know “what happened to Marcus Rashford?”

I loved bringing him up in conversations as a perfect example of my belief that athletes can drive positive change while strengthening their personal brands. But he isn’t a “purposeful branding” case study. Just because he did what most wouldn’t and took on a whole new role during the 2020 pandemic doesn’t mean he’s here to prove or disprove anyone’s theories. I found myself, ironically, pulling from the opposite side of the rope as those he referenced in that quote, hoping he’d come through to reassure me that the path I’m pursuing is real. Yet, I was still placing my own expectations on him.

If anything, what happened to Marcus Rashford is a good reminder of what life is: a series of plans and commitments that don’t always go as intended and sometimes come back to bite us, making us wonder if we should have stayed clear in the first place. Man, I really hope that’s not how he feels now, because I genuinely believe in the authenticity of his advocacy. And at the end of the day, the essence of who we are and what we’re striving for remains. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished I didn’t believe football could change the world, ha, but I always come back to it.

And here’s where I think the catch is: I probably wouldn’t be wondering what happened to Rashford if he hadn’t shown such authenticity when he did. Over these past years, he’s built a brand grounded in the consistency of true leadership which, even when tested by fire (because that’s what life will do to you), still comes through.

I hope he continues to inspire fellow athletes to embrace the chance to use their platforms for something bigger and lasting. And I hope brands choose to stand by him, recognizing the legitimacy of his intentions and understanding that both the highs and lows are part of his journey, transforming these moments into opportunities for more growth and impact.

What happened to Marcus Rashford is that he stepped into the arena, and as Roosevelt reminded us, we know what that means:

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

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THE GOOD LINKS

🎀​ Another great jersey to raise awareness about breast cancer, this time it’s Bayern Munich Women’s team.

​🤌🏽 This collection of Genoa FC photos published by Ultimo Uomo

🙂‍↕️ A photo of Andrew Garfield watching football in Italy. Chef’s kiss.

🤯​ This insane video of Romario playing at an amateur football game.

🤤​ This tracksuit. I need it.

💡​ This equation on how Youtube is attracting more fans to the WSL.

📝​ THE letter addressed to FIFA and signed by multiple female players.

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