Rashford upstages Gordon as Spanish media question Barcelona's £70m signing after Croatia rout

Marcus Rashford rescued his England reputation with a decisive cameo against Croatia at the 2026 World Cup, scoring the fourth goal in a Group L victory in Dallas and immediately drawing uncomfortable comparisons with Barcelona’s new £70 million signing Anthony Gordon.

Gordon, who recently completed his move from Newcastle to the Nou Camp, was handed the left-wing start by Thomas Tuchel ahead of Rashford, whose hopes of a permanent Barcelona deal have since collapsed. The Manchester United forward had to settle for a place on the bench, but his 85th-minute strike — after replacing Gordon — ensured the result was beyond doubt and set the Spanish press talking.

Barcelona daily La Vanguardia was blunt in its assessment: “Tuchel opted for Gordon from the start, but the new Barcelona signing was very subdued. Barca’s new signing covered a lot of ground but to no avail, having very little impact. He barely touched the ball and failed to complete either of his two dribbles in the first half. Tuchel’s changes worked and Rashford, in that role he played at Barca, sealed the deal.”

Fellow Barcelona outlet El Periodico echoed the sentiment, writing that Tuchel “wisely substituted Anthony Gordon for Marcus Rashford, reversing the transfer plan Barcelona had devised for the upcoming season. Gordon was virtually invisible, barely touching the ball, and Rashford sealed the victory when Croatia threatened to draw 3-0.”

Madrid-based Las Razón acknowledged the awkward optics while urging caution: “It was a goal with a certain intrigue, as Gordon has taken his place in the England starting line-up and his spot at Barcelona. But the former Newcastle player was barely involved throughout the match, while the player who spent time on loan at the Camp Nou made his presence felt in a short amount of time. It’s just one game, though; it would be premature to draw conclusions from it.”

El Mundo said Rashford “showed more promise than Gordon in his limited minutes on the pitch,” while Mundo Deportivo noted the former Everton man made “little impact.”

Not all the Spanish coverage was critical of England’s choices. Marca reserved high praise for Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, who scored England’s third goal early in the second half. The Madrid paper wrote: “Texas saw the best version of Jude Bellingham. The Englishman resembled the player from his first season at Real Madrid — quick, with impressive physical presence, attacking runs, and excellent vision. His performance was so complete that he capped it off with a great goal that put England ahead for the third time.”

For Rashford, the goal offers a timely boost amid ongoing uncertainty over his club future, while Gordon faces an early test of his credentials at Barcelona before the Spanish season has even begun.