Noni Madueke's World Cup Journey: Confidence and Challenges Ahead

Noni Madueke is exactly where he always wanted to be – at a World Cup, wearing an England shirt – and yet he sounds like a man who has only just arrived.

Round of 32. DR Congo. Knockout football. For Madueke, this is where the real tournament starts.

“It’s a dream come true to compete in the World Cup,” he told the media on Tuesday, the eve of England’s first knockout tie at the 2026 finals. “I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

The smile was there. The gratitude was there. But so was something else: a sharp edge, a sense that simply being part of it won’t be enough.

England have not lifted a major trophy for 60 years. Madueke, at his first World Cup, speaks as if that burden already sits comfortably on his shoulders.

“The first objective was achieved, so I’m really happy about that,” he said of England’s progress from the group. “I’m looking forward to the knockout stages now. You have to feel like you can step up, you’re a top player, you’re here for a reason.

“You’re playing for your country on the biggest stage and you have to have the excessive confidence in your ability. Knockout football is where it’s at, so I’m trying to be at my best for that. At the end of the day, alongside your teammates on that pitch, it’s down to you to deliver.”

A stubborn test awaits

DR Congo are not one of the glamour names in this World Cup, but they are exactly the type of side that can turn a favourite’s campaign upside down. Organised, disciplined, compact. England have already had a warning.

Ghana held Thomas Tuchel’s team to a goalless draw in the group stage, closing space, sitting deep, refusing to be drawn into the kind of open game England’s forwards crave. DR Congo are expected to follow a similar blueprint.

Madueke doesn’t pretend it will be straightforward.

“I feel like every team has difficulties with the opposition setting up 11 players in 30 metres of space, it’s not easy to break down,” he said. “I think we’ve seen other top nations struggle as well. It’s just part of football now.

“Of course, when you play England, naturally you’re going to have a defensive approach because of the quality in our team. I expect a difficult game, for sure.

“When you get to this stage of the World Cup, you can’t take any opposition lightly. They will have their strengths and their qualities. The game will definitely be difficult and we’ll be ready from the start.”

The message is clear: no shortcuts, no complacency, no excuses.

Living with the depth

If DR Congo’s strength lies in their collective discipline, England’s great weapon is the sheer volume of talent they can call from the bench. Tuchel has leaned into that luxury, rotating his forward line through the group stage and keeping opponents guessing.

Madueke has felt it first-hand – two starts, one appearance off the bench, and the constant knowledge that one below-par display can cost him his place.

“I feel like you always have to be at the highest level, because you know you have a top player waiting and biting at your heels to try and get in the team,” he said.

“That type of healthy competition is good, but playing for Arsenal and England, you don’t really need anyone else to keep you at the highest level, you know that that’s a requirement.”

There is no hint of resentment in his voice when the subject turns to Bukayo Saka, his club teammate and direct rival for minutes on the right flank. At many clubs, two young stars jostling for the same position might create tension. At Arsenal, and now with England, Madueke insists it has done the opposite.

“Normally it should be a little strange, but it’s not,” he said. “I feel like it doesn’t affect our relationship. We want the best for each other when each other plays, because that means if he plays well, I play well, then Arsenal and England have a better chance of winning.”

That shared hunger has already taken them to a Premier League title. Madueke believes that kind of success travels.

“I feel like that winning feeling lingers,” he added. “It’s great to take [a Premier League title] into a tournament as big and as prominent as the World Cup. It definitely fills you with confidence.”

Arsenal wings spreading across the World Cup

While Madueke spoke, another Arsenal winger was leaving his mark on the tournament. Gabriel Martinelli struck a late winner for Brazil, a reminder that the club’s wide players are shaping games across continents this summer.

The news reached the England camp quickly, and Madueke’s reaction was instant.

“For sure, I’m happy for him,” he said with a smile. “I hope he continues to do extremely well, just not if they play us!”

It was a light moment, but it hinted at something deeper: a group of young wide forwards, forged in the pressure of a title race, now carrying that mentality onto the biggest stage of all.

Madueke’s World Cup dream is already real. The question now is how far he can push it – and whether that “excessive confidence” he talks about can help drag England closer to the trophy they have been chasing since 1966.