7/27/2025–|Last update: 7/28/202500:13 (Mecca time)
English star Marcus Rashford scored his first appearance with the Barcelona football team, during the Catalan team’s 3-1 victory over its Japanese host Vesel Kobe on Sunday.
The friendly match comes as part of Barcelona’s preparations- the trio winner (the league, the King’s Cup and the Spanish Super Cup)- for the start of the new football season 2025-2026.
Rashford, 27, who joined Barcelona from Manchester United, participated on loan for one season, in the second half of the match, before being replaced in the 78th minute.
The Vesel Kobe goalkeeper tackled an attempt by Rashford in his first match with the German coach Hansi Felk, who won thanks to Eric Garcia, Ronnie Bardji and the academy star Pedro Fernandez.
The match witnessed the wearing of the rising Spanish star Lamine Jamal, 18, the famous Barcelona shirt No. 10, which was previously worn by many of the round witches, led by the Argentine duo Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, before the start of the match.
Regarding Rashford’s participation for only 33 minutes, Barcelona website quoted Flick as saying: “He is a week late. He did not train with the ball much, and we want to take care of him.”
For his part, Rashford said – in a video clip of Barcelona, shown by the Sky Sports news channel – that “the performance is good, it is exciting to play in front of the fans, the fitness looks well. So I look forward to the upcoming matches.”
“We are happy that we were able to win the match, but the most important of course is adapting, and for the team, our goal was to control and provide good football, and I think we did this in both halves.”
Rashford revealed that “it is difficult in such matches to change the team between the two halves, but I think we have performed well.”
Vissel Kobe 1⃣-3⃣ FC Barcelona pic.twitter.com/uxtj4xouc8
– Fc Barcelona (@fcbarcelona) July 27, 2025
The player – who had been loaned to Aston Villa for 6 months last season – pointed out that “the reason I am here in Barcelona is to help the team win. So I will listen to any information I need, and I try to apply it in matches and help the team to progress.”
The new Barcelona star concluded his remarks by saying: “I can play in different positions. Playing in the offensive line from my strengths. I will play where the team needs me, and I try to score goals and make goals from these centers.”
Barcelona will start its matches in the new season in the Spanish league against its host Mayorca on August 16.