Marcus Rashford scored England’s first Barcelona-linked goal of the 2026 World Cup after replacing new clubmate Anthony Gordon in the 72nd minute of a 4-2 win over Croatia.
FC Barcelona’s official World Cup diary logged the update from Wednesday’s Group L match, noting that Rashford came on for Gordon and created the finish himself by cutting inside before beating Dominik Livakovic with a low strike. It was a sharp tournament moment for Barcelona interest because both England attackers are tied to the Catalan club’s current attacking story.
Rashford And Gordon Give Barcelona A World Cup Thread
Gordon started the match and, according to Barcelona’s official World Cup diary, was lively without directly contributing to England’s four goals. Rashford’s impact from the bench gave Hansi Flick’s side a cleaner headline: a Barcelona forward making a decisive scoring contribution at the tournament.
The timing matters because Barcelona’s squad is scattered across the biggest World Cup in history, with the club tracking 16 players in the finals. Rashford’s goal gives supporters a concrete early marker, while Gordon’s start underlines his immediate place in England’s plans.
For Barcelona, it is the kind of international return that keeps both players in focus before pre-season begins. England move on with momentum, and the club now has a positive attacking clip to bank from the opening round of group fixtures.
