Mason Greenwood Shines For Marseille As International Future Remains Uncertain

Mason Greenwood’s career has taken more twists and turns than a classic cup final, but as of January 2026, the 24-year-old forward is lighting up Ligue 1 with Marseille and forcing the football world to reckon with his remarkable resurgence—and the shadows of his past. Once touted as a generational talent for Manchester United and England, Greenwood’s journey has been anything but straightforward. Today, his name is both a headline-grabber on the pitch and a lightning rod for controversy off it.

Greenwood’s footballing promise was evident from his earliest days at Old Trafford. By age 20, he had already netted 32 goals for Manchester United, drawing praise from pundits and fans alike. His trajectory, however, was abruptly derailed in January 2022 when he was suspended after being arrested on suspicion of attempted rape, assault, and coercive behavior. The charges were dropped in February 2023, with the Crown Prosecution Service citing withdrawn witness cooperation and new evidence as reasons for discontinuing the case. Greenwood always denied the accusations.

Despite the legal outcome, Manchester United launched their own investigation, culminating in a mutual agreement for Greenwood to leave the club in August 2023. That summer, he was loaned to Getafe in LaLiga, where he managed a respectable eight goals in 33 appearances. The Spanish adventure proved to be a stepping stone, as Marseille swooped in with a permanent offer reportedly worth £26.7 million ($35 million), including a substantial 40% sell-on clause entitling United to nearly half of any future profit. United even pocketed an extra £5 million when Marseille clinched Champions League qualification last season.

Since arriving in France, Greenwood has been nothing short of sensational. Last season, he shared the Ligue 1 Golden Boot with Ousmane Dembélé, both tallying 21 goals—a feat that instantly endeared him to the Marseille faithful and put European defenders on high alert. This campaign, Greenwood has picked up where he left off, leading the scoring charts with 12 league goals as of January 21, 2026, and amassing 20 across all competitions. His recent form has been electric: a hat trick in Marseille’s 9-0 demolition of Bayeux on January 13, followed by a crucial goal against Angers that kept Marseille in the title hunt alongside Lens and Paris Saint-Germain.

Manager Roberto de Zerbi has been effusive in his praise. In December 2025, he declared, “I don’t see any other players in Europe at the same level. He has the potential to win the Ballon d’Or.” That’s high praise, and it’s tough to argue with the stats—42 goals in 62 appearances for Marseille is the kind of return that turns heads across the continent.

Yet, for all his club heroics, Greenwood’s international future remains clouded. He made his England senior debut in September 2020, coming off the bench in a 1-0 away win over Iceland. But his time with the Three Lions was short-lived; just days later, he and teammate Phil Foden were withdrawn from the squad for breaching Covid quarantine rules. Former England manager Gareth Southgate ruled him out for Euro 2024 consideration, and current boss Thomas Tuchel has been unequivocal. “I have not spoken to him until now,” Tuchel said in September 2025. “My understanding was that he tries to play for Jamaica so we didn’t give it another thought. He is not in our thoughts for our team.”

Indeed, Greenwood has obtained a Jamaican passport—his grandparents’ homeland—and submitted the required paperwork to switch his international allegiance. But as of January 2026, he has yet to complete the official change of association form or make his debut for Jamaica. He was expected to be available for World Cup 2026 qualifiers last September against Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago but did not accept a call-up. Jamaica’s path to the World Cup is still alive, but it’s a rocky road: they must win intercontinental playoff matches against New Caledonia and DR Congo in March 2026 to book their ticket to the tournament.

Not everyone in the Jamaican setup is thrilled at the prospect of a late addition. Isaac Hayden, a Jamaica international and QPR midfielder, voiced his reservations to The Athletic: “The quality of the player, his numbers, what he is producing, is of the highest level. But it comes down to principle and integrity. If players can just rock up because of a World Cup, it would make the whole thing a farce. That would say a lot about the player, and the organization for allowing that to happen.” Charlton defender Amari’i Bell echoed those sentiments, calling a late addition “controversial.” Even Jamaica Football Federation president Michael Ricketts has been cautiously optimistic, telling The Athletic he still hopes Greenwood will represent the Reggae Boyz before the World Cup, saying he was “excited to get his documentation sorted out.”

The debate over Greenwood’s international future isn’t confined to Jamaica. In France, some see him as a potential asset for England. French journalist Lamperti said, “He can be a super-sub. He’s only 24, still has plenty of room for improvement, and is brimming with confidence. He just needs to feel loved. But I think England isn’t ready to forgive him.” Meanwhile, George Boxall, an English football journalist based in Marseille, offered a more sobering perspective: “If we put the legal case and his past to one side, then there is an argument to say that he has a stake to claim in that side. He is the Ligue 1 top scorer and has been playing some objectively electric football at times; his stats have already surpassed the likes of Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle in France. The problem is that you can’t separate the player from his past, it’s just not realistic to do so.” Boxall added, “Playing for England will reopen those scars from the past, and it won’t benefit anyone involved: Not Tuchel, nor Greenwood, nor his family, and least of all victims of sexual abuse in a wider sense.”

With a return to the Premier League considered highly unlikely due to his off-field controversies, speculation swirls about Greenwood’s next move. His performances have certainly put him on the radar of Europe’s elite clubs, and with Marseille’s 40% sell-on clause, Manchester United will be watching any transfer developments with keen interest. For now, though, Greenwood is focused on Marseille’s ambitions—most immediately, a high-profile clash with Liverpool at the Stade Velodrome on January 21, 2026. It’s a fixture that brings him face-to-face with English opposition, a reminder of both how far he’s come and how much remains unresolved.

As the World Cup draws nearer and club competitions intensify, Mason Greenwood’s story remains one of football’s most compelling and complicated narratives. Whether he finds redemption on the international stage, moves to a new European powerhouse, or continues to dazzle in Ligue 1, one thing is certain: the football world will be watching his every move.