Anthony Gordon is having a summer that most soccer players only get in video games. The 25-year-old English winger went from Newcastle to Barcelona in one transfer window, debuted in fluent Spanish on social media, and now he’s scoring bicycle kicks in a World Cup semifinal.
Wednesday’s game against Argentina was the latest chapter. Gordon took a run to the back post, tracked a cross that looked a little too far, and launched himself into an acrobatic finish that left the Argentina keeper flat-footed. That goal made it four goals and assists combined across four World Cup games for Gordon in his first tournament appearance. And it put England up 1-0 in a semifinal that felt like a heavyweight fight from the first whistle.
The Barcelona connection already looks real
Gordon joined Barcelona this summer after a complicated exit from Newcastle. The move itself made headlines, but what happened next was maybe bigger. He posted a video on X speaking fluent Spanish to introduce himself to the new fanbase. Not the standard two-sentence hello with a heavy accent. Full sentences. Natural flow. The kind of thing that makes fans feel like the player actually wants to be there.
Fans online went wild. Some called it the most impressive debut content they’d seen from a big-money signing. Others just laughed and said Barcelona finally found someone who can talk as well as he plays.
And then he backed it up on the field. Gordon now joins Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford as England scorers in this World Cup. But Gordon’s path here is different. He wasn’t a guaranteed starter when the tournament began. He worked his way into the lineup, delivered three assists in the group stage and knockouts, and then produced that finish against Argentina when England needed a spark.
What Barcelona is getting
The question now is whether this is a hot streak or the start of something bigger. Gordon is 25, which means his best years are likely ahead. He’s fast. He’s direct. He’s comfortable attacking the goal from wide areas, which is exactly what Barcelona’s system needs. And the fact that he’s already doing it on the biggest stage — a World Cup semifinal — says something about his ability to handle pressure.
Does Barcelona have a new gem? Too early to say for sure, but the early returns are ridiculous. Gordon has four goal contributions in four World Cup games. He’s speaking the local language. He’s scoring the kind of goal that makes highlight reels for years. If this keeps up, the transfer fee is going to look like a bargain.
England was still playing when this article went live, so there’s no tidy ending here. But whatever happens in the rest of that semifinal, Gordon already made his mark. Barcelona fans have to be watching with a grin.
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