Phil Foden entered EURO 2024 as the Premier League Player of the Year and is only behind Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak in the scoring list.
However, just two years later, he was struggling to find a starting spot at Manchester City, even having difficulty scoring, and was just qualified to be called up to the England national team for friendly matches with Uruguay and Japan.
Given the opportunity to show himself against Uruguay, Foden played 56 minutes in a slow and lack of highlights match. He left the field with signs of pain after a strong collision with Ronald Araujo, but it may also be because of the feeling that the opportunity to participate in the 2026 World Cup is gradually slipping out of his hands.
Just over 2 months before the summer tournament, Foden's position is seriously threatened.
The fact that he only had one minute of play in Man City's 3 important matches this month - two matches against Real Madrid and the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal - clearly reflects the decline in form. Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney even called his late start a "comfortable substitution".
Foden will be happy because the team won the cup, but from a personal perspective, he wants to play and contribute. That is not easy to accept" - Rooney commented.
Having had a breakthrough period in November and December last year with 8 goals after 9 matches, Foden seemed to have returned to his peak form that helped him win the PFA and Premier League Player of the Year awards in the 2023-2024 season.
However, instability is still a big problem. He admitted that the 2024-2025 season declined partly due to persistent ankle injuries and off-field psychological problems.
Speaking at the FIFA Club World Cup last summer, Foden once affirmed that he had regained his desire and aimed for a new beginning. Although there were still moments of brilliance - such as the goal against Manchester United in September or the decisive goal against Leeds United - stability is still what he lacks.
Under coach Pep Guardiola, Foden is sometimes arranged to play deeper, limiting his scoring and assisting ability. In addition, the rise of Rayan Cherki also affects his playing opportunities.
Guardiola has repeatedly emphasized the mental factor. When Foden is comfortable and enjoys football, he will perform best. But that does not always happen this season.
Although he actively asked to play in domestic cups to regain his ball feeling, Foden still could not maintain stability. Since being substituted in the defeat to Man United in January, he has only started twice in the Premier League.
At the national team level, competition is increasingly fierce. Under Thomas Tuchel, Foden had to compete with Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Cole Palmer for the number 10 role.
On both wings, he also does not have an advantage over natural wingers like Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon or Marcus Rashford.
In the match against Uruguay, Palmer took better advantage of the opportunity when he came on as a substitute for Foden, creating a clear highlight and contributing assists. That made the competition even fiercer.
With the return of key players, the door for Foden is gradually closing. If he does not regain his form soon, he may completely miss the World Cup.
