Phil Foden determined to find his best form for Man City ahead of World Cup

The 25-year-old England international has found opportunities limited throughout 2026, starting just eight of the club's last 20 matches and increasingly being deployed from the bench.

His most recent outing was a brief substitute appearance in a Carabao Cup victory over Arsenal, underlining his reduced role in recent weeks.

Foden's last full 90-minute performance dates back to 4 January, when City were held to a 1–1 draw by Chelsea. The contrast with his earlier form is stark, having scored eight goals in nine matches during a prolific run between November and December.

"Football sometimes is not straightforward. There are ups and downs and sometimes you can't be the best version of yourself and that's the way it is," said Foden.

"It's just about how you pick yourself back up. I'm still keeping my head down, trying to train as well as I can every day and hopefully I come back after the internationals a lot sharper and hopefully I can get more minutes and be back to where I was at the start of the season."

Despite his club struggles, Foden has retained his place on the international stage and has been selected by England manager Thomas Tuchel for upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. With the World Cup approaching, he remains focused on securing a spot in the squad.

"Every time you get selected for your country, it's the biggest thing you can feel as a football player," he added.

"I'm really delighted to get selected and just can't wait now to go there with the lads and meet up for training."