Mason Greenwood stands on the precipice of his most visible performance since leaving England behind. When Liverpool arrives at Stade Velodrome on Wednesday, the Marseille forward will face Premier League royalty in a Champions League showdown that certain corners of the internet insist represents something more significant than club football. They are wrong.
Despite what social media provocateurs suggest, this match offers no pathway back to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. The 24-year-old’s reputation in his homeland remains irreparably damaged, his international prospects extinguished regardless of how many goals he scores on French soil.
Greenwood Thrives in French Exile
The numbers tell a remarkable story of athletic rehabilitation. Greenwood has produced 26 combined goals and assists in 26 appearances this season, leading the Ligue 1 scoring charts for the second consecutive campaign. His performances have elevated him to cult hero status in Marseille, where fans desperate for success have embraced a player most English clubs would never touch.
The former Manchester United prospect operates largely beyond the scrutiny of casual English football observers, thriving in relative anonymity. Wednesday’s clash against Liverpool represents a rare moment when European audiences will watch him play, offering Greenwood a stage to showcase abilities that once made him one of England’s most promising young talents.
Yet this platform serves only to remind observers of what was lost, not what might be regained.
The Case That Changed Everything
Greenwood earned his sole England cap against Iceland in September 2020, only to be dismissed from the squad alongside Phil Foden for breaching Covid-19 protocols. He would never represent his country again.
In January 2022, audio recordings and images of an alleged assault surfaced online, triggering Greenwood’s arrest and immediate suspension from Manchester United. Though he denied all accusations, prosecutors charged the then-20-year-old with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behavior, and assault causing actual bodily harm that October.
The Crown Prosecution Service discontinued those charges in February 2023 following what officials described as the withdrawal of key witnesses. The legal proceedings ended, but the court of public opinion rendered its own verdict.
United kept Greenwood suspended throughout the investigation before loaning him to Getafe for the 2023-24 season. The club had initially considered his return following an internal review, but reversed course amid fierce public backlash. That summer, Marseille paid $35 million for a player whose market value had been decimated by scandal rather than performance.
A Hero’s Welcome in Southern France
Some Marseille supporters protested Greenwood’s arrival, but most greeted him enthusiastically. The prevailing sentiment held that the club had secured elite talent at bargain prices precisely because of his damaged reputation. For a team starved of major honors for over a decade, the moral calculation proved simple.
Greenwood rewarded that faith with an impressive debut season, matching Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele’s goal total to finish as joint-top scorer in Ligue 1. His performances helped deliver Champions League qualification, validating the controversial investment.
This campaign has elevated him further. Operating from the right flank in Roberto De Zerbi’s system, Greenwood contributes a goal involvement per match. He recently scored in a dominant victory over Angers, maintaining his position atop the French scoring charts while impressing in European competition.
Technical Brilliance Meets Tactical Evolution
Fabrice Lamperti, a football journalist with La Provence, recently ranked Greenwood as Marseille’s finest right-winger of the 21st century. The assessment reflects both individual brilliance and historical mediocrity at the position.
The player who arrived in France displayed exceptional finishing ability and technical skill but limited tactical awareness. Under De Zerbi’s guidance, Greenwood has expanded his game considerably. He tracks back more consistently, presses with greater intensity, and shows improved willingness to serve teammates, though individualistic tendencies still surface.
His two-footedness makes him maddeningly unpredictable for defenders. Since joining Marseille, Greenwood has scored 41 goals, establishing himself as one of Ligue 1’s most dangerous attackers.
International Limbo and Jamaican Uncertainty
While his club career flourishes, Greenwood remains exiled from international football. Neither former England manager Gareth Southgate nor current boss Thomas Tuchel has selected him despite his statistical dominance in France.
Greenwood began pursuing eligibility to represent Jamaica through family heritage, obtaining the necessary passport. Yet he has stalled on completing the switch, leaving Reggae Boyz officials frustrated.
Former Jamaica manager Steve McClaren addressed the situation in September, revealing that Greenwood declined to commit after conversations with his family. The player expressed love and respect for Jamaica but wanted to focus on club football without pledging international loyalty.
November reports suggested Greenwood still believes an England recall remains possible, explaining his reluctance to finalize the Jamaica switch. That conviction appears wildly optimistic given the circumstances.
The Grim Online Campaign
A coordinated social media effort promotes Greenwood’s case for England inclusion, operating in spaces where misogyny often thrives. Accounts with substantial followings regularly question why he remains overlooked, occasionally making baseless claims about imminent recalls.
The campaign extends beyond fringe voices. The official Ligue 1 account frequently highlights Greenwood’s performances. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, commanding over 70 million followers across platforms, routinely posts statistical updates about the forward.
When De Zerbi recently praised Greenwood as Ballon d’Or-caliber talent, Romano generated an AI image showing the player holding the award alongside the Italian manager, sharing it with 42 million Instagram followers.
French media coverage has been remarkably favorable, rarely mentioning the discontinued criminal case. At his 2024 introductory press conference, Marseille press officers shut down questions about the allegations.
Even English media has softened. Former player Troy Deeney wrote in The Sun that football cannot permanently exile people for youthful mistakes, alleged or otherwise. He argued Greenwood deserves a second chance if he publicly addresses his past.
Official England Position Remains Firm
The Football Association maintains that Greenwood is not under consideration for selection. Tuchel has avoided definitively ruling out future inclusion but insists the player remains outside his thinking.
When asked in September, the German manager said he had not spoken with Greenwood or his representatives. Tuchel expressed his understanding that the player was pursuing Jamaica eligibility, adding that Greenwood was not in the mix for England selection.
The player still maintains a profile on the England Football website, though this may represent administrative oversight rather than strategic positioning.
Greenwood’s reluctance to commit to Jamaica suggests someone may have offered encouragement about England prospects. Yet a World Cup recall appears extraordinarily unlikely as Tuchel finalizes preparations for the tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
French Perspective Versus English Reality
Opinion in Marseille holds that Greenwood could strengthen England’s squad. Lamperti believes the forward would excel as an impact substitute, noting his youth, confidence and room for growth. However, he doubts England is prepared to forgive.
George Boxall, an English journalist covering Marseille, offers a more grounded assessment. Setting aside the legal case, Greenwood’s statistics and performances in France arguably merit consideration. He leads Ligue 1 in scoring and has surpassed the French achievements of English legends Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle.
The problem, Boxall explains, is that separating player from past proves impossible. Had Greenwood offered genuine public repentance and better communication, rehabilitation might have been achievable. That window has closed.
Greenwood already has his second chance through continued employment as an elite footballer earning substantial wages. An England recall would reopen painful wounds, benefiting no one involved—not Tuchel, not Greenwood, not his family, and certainly not survivors of sexual abuse more broadly.
No Audition, Just Another Match
Greenwood will undoubtedly view Wednesday’s Liverpool clash as an opportunity to impress global audiences who may have forgotten his abilities over the past 18 months. He has not played in England since departing on loan to Getafe, making this arguably his highest-profile match against English opposition since facing Newcastle in November.
If Greenwood delivers another electric performance against the Premier League champions, it will provide more ammunition for those promoting his rehabilitation. Yet just as a transfer back to English football remains impossible due to inevitable backlash, his England career is finished.
Unlike Marseille, the Three Lions have not endured sufficient trophy drought to justify such a controversial decision. Tuchel possesses abundant attacking options and shows no inclination to create unnecessary turmoil. Beyond the legal case, the manager has maintained loyalty to a consistent player pool throughout his tenure.
Whatever Greenwood believes about his international future, Wednesday’s showcase against Liverpool represents nothing more than another club fixture. His England ambitions died years ago, and no amount of goals in France will resurrect them.
Source: Goal
