England 1-1 Uruguay: Player Ratings from Wembley Friendly Reveal Mixed Performances
In a closely contested men's international football friendly at Wembley, England and Uruguay played out a 1-1 draw, with player ratings highlighting a night of varied individual displays. The match saw Harry Maguire make a solid return to the international scene, but Phil Foden failed to find a spark, and Ben White experienced a bizarre sequence of events involving boos and a penalty.
Goalkeeper and Defence
James Trafford had a quiet debut for England until he was beaten by Fede Valverde's equalising penalty, earning a rating of 6. Tino Livramento was untroubled in defence and supported the attack with energetic runs, though connections were lacking, also scoring a 6. Harry Maguire was solid on his return, delivering some booming passes and posing a set-piece threat, rated 6. Fikayo Tomori was unruffled in his first England appearance since November 2023, but the Uruguay attack was toothless, resulting in a 6. Djed Spence was fine defensively, but as a right-footer at left-back, he kept checking back, a familiar issue, rated 6.
Midfield and Attack
Jordan Henderson was occasionally bypassed in midfield and offered little on the ball before going off at half-time, earning a 5. James Garner delivered some dangerous corners and did not disgrace himself on his debut, rated 6. Noni Madueke won some corners but often held onto the ball too long before going off injured, scoring a 6. Phil Foden failed to deliver as the No. 10 and will be worried about his World Cup place, rated 5. Marcus Rashford livened up the crowd with one run but mostly dribbled down dead ends, having an underwhelming night with a 5. Dominic Solanke tested Fernando Muslera from long range and worked hard without ever looking likely to score, rated 6.
Substitutes
The substitutes made varied impacts: Jarrod Bowen was quiet after replacing Madueke on the right, rated 6. Adam Wharton offered urgent passing and made a block on a Uruguay defender for the goal, scoring 6. Cole Palmer had a lively cameo, crowned by delivering the corner for the winner, earning a 7. Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed wide from a Palmer free-kick, rated 6. Ben White had an odd night: booed when he came on, scored, got booed again, and gave away a penalty after a harsh VAR call, rated 6. Harvey Barnes, Lewis Hall, and Kobbie Mainoo all came on and were rated 6.
Overall, the match provided insights into England's squad depth and areas for improvement ahead of future competitions, with standout moments from Maguire and Palmer, but concerns over Foden's form and White's controversial involvement.
