Video: Marcus Rashford makes history with Champions League brace vs Newcastle, ending 36-year Barcelona drought

Barcelona kicked off their 2025–26 UEFA Champions League campaign this Thursday with an away match at St. James’ Park against Newcastle United. Marcus Rashford was instrumental, netting twice and marking a historic moment for the Spanish side.

Rashford became the first English player to score for Barcelona in 36 years. The last to do so was Gary Lineker during the 1988–89 season, before he left Los Blaugranas to join Tottenham Hotspur at the end of that campaign.

Gary Lineker played for Barcelona for three years, from 1986 to 1989. During that time, he made 138 appearances and scored 51 goals, leaving an unforgettable mark on the Catalan side. Lineker had been the last English player to wear the Barcelona shirt in a major European tournament — until Marcus broke that streak as well this Thursday.

Quick take: Match context: momentum and small details could decide this one, especially set-pieces and transitions. Form and fitness will matter; expect managers to rotate carefully around the congested schedule. Continental stakes raise the intensity, where away goals no longer apply but margins still feel razor thin. We’ll keep an eye on confirmed details as the story develops from official sources.

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Video: Marcus Rashford makes history with Champions League brace vs Newcastle, ending 36-year Barcelona drought