Marcus Rashford ends Lionel Messi’s status as Barcelona’s only free-kick scorer vs Real Madrid in 21st century

Marcus Rashford was one of the standout performers in FC Barcelona‘s title-clinching win over Real Madrid on Sunday, opening the scoring with a stunning free kick. Beyond the significance of the goal itself, Rashford’s strike brought an end to Lionel Messi‘s distinction as the only Barcelona player to score a direct free kick against Real Madrid in the 21st century.

With Lamine Yamal sidelined through injury and Raphinha still working his way back to full fitness, coach Hansi Flick turned to Rashford as a starter on the right wing. The Englishman had last started in La Liga back on April 4 against Atletico Madrid, when he also scored, and Flick’s faith was rewarded almost immediately.

After Antonio Rudiger fouled Ferran Torres on the edge of the box, Rashford stepped up to take the free kick from the right side. Opting to drive the ball toward Thibaut Courtois’s near post, Rashford caught the Belgian goalkeeper with a step to his left, and the thunderous effort was impossible to stop, opening what would become a 2-0 victory in just the ninth minute.

In doing so, Rashford ended Messi’s unique status as the sole Barcelona player to score a direct free kick against Real Madrid in the 21st century. Messi had achieved that feat twice during his time at the club, making the record all the more exclusive.

As highlighted by OptaJose on X (formerly Twitter), Rashford’s effort was the third free kick goal Barcelona have scored against Real Madrid in this century, and the first since October 2012, when the previous one had also come in a La Liga fixture at Camp Nou.

Since Messi’s departure in 2021, Barcelona have converted just three direct free kicks from over 100 attempts, with Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski and Pablo Torre each netting one. Rashford’s goal brings that tally to four, a figure that underscores the significant drop in free kick precision the club has experienced since the Argentine’s exit.

Messi’s free kick goals against Real Madrid

Lionel Messi is currently closing in on the top tier of all-time free kick goalscorers, with 71 to his name and just one behind Juninho Pernambucano for a place in the top three. Two of those goals came against Real Madrid while wearing the Barcelona shirt.

The first arrived in the Spanish Super Cup in August 2012, when Messi curled a stunning long-range free kick past Iker Casillas at the Santiago Bernabéu in the second leg, with Barcelona claiming the trophy. The second came just two months later in a La Liga match at Camp Nou, in a 2-2 draw in which both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each scored a brace.