Marcus Rashford scored a stunning free-kick to help Barcelona wrap up La Liga in a 2-0 victory against Real Madrid. However, the Englishman's future at the club is far from certain beyond the end of the season.
El Clasico hadn't decided the Spanish title since 1932, but Barca cruised to three points and the trophy at Camp Nou on Sunday night. Hansi Flick, who had lost his father on the same day, guided his team to a comfortable victory with Rashford playing a crucial role.
The 28-year-old smashed the ball into the top corner in the ninth minute of proceedings, leaving Thibaut Courtois with absolutely no chance. Ferran Torres' goal, less than 10 minutes later, was enough to ensure the trophy remained in Barcelona.
Marcus Rashford Makes Feelings Clear on Man Utd Return
Marcus Rashford
Speaking after securing his second trophy during his season-long loan spell from Manchester United, Rashford stated his eagerness to remain in Spain. He told BBC Sport: "I don't know. I am not a magician. If I was, I would stay. So we will see."
"Football is unpredictable but for now, I will just enjoy it, live in the moment and reassess at the end of the season and see what is possible," he added. His move to La Liga came after a falling out with old Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim.
The England international has managed 14 goals and 14 assists in 47 appearances this season, proving he can be a valuable asset for Flick's team. When asked about his wonderful strike vs Real Madrid, he replied:
"No, I wasn’t going to shoot because when I put that ball down I didn’t see the angles, I didn’t feel confident it was going to be a goal so I was going to cross
"But everyone was telling me to shoot and then I hyped myself up a little bit."
He concluded: "It was a good goal. I came here to win, so this is it. I want to win as many things as I can. This team is wonderful, is going to win so much in the future. To be part of that would be special."
Spanish Press Split on Rashford Decision
Marcus Rashford vs Real Madrid
While there's no doubt about where Rashford wants to be playing his football next season, Spanish media outlets aren't able to come to an agreement on whether it would be a good signing.
Marca believe he has made a 'strong case to stay at the Camp Nou'. They wrote: "Rashford, on loan from United, is making a strong case to stay at the Camp Nou. The Spotify Camp Nou gives Dani Olmo and Rashford a standing ovation. Barca is a complete and formidable team."
His free-kick was also labelled 'Declan Rice-esque' as the publication added: "He feinted a shot towards the near post, Courtois took the fateful step and found himself with the ball nestled into the corner. Despite his height of two meters, he couldn't reach Marcus' extraordinary, Declan Rice-esque finish."
Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo are in the same boat. His performance in El Clasico was praised heavily, pointing towards his permanent arrival being a good idea:
"Rashford's sprints and the speed with which he began to decide the Clasico were key: he constantly exploited his pace in open space. But his highlight was the stunning goal he scored from a perfectly executed angled free kick.
"He came close to scoring another, but Courtois didn't concede any more. Who knows if the Englishman's league finish is the first payment to United?"
However, the people at AS still need to be convinced, despite only a few games remaining. They claim Barca won't fork out the fee Man Utd are demanding and Rashford may be one of the top earners moved on for financial reasons.
"After the partial fiasco of Marcus Rashford - Barca will under no circumstances pay the £26m purchase option demanded by Manchester United.
"Deco will have a lot of work to do this summer, as all new signings will be preceded by departures and he also faces the significant obstacle of Financial Fair Play. Players like Marc Casado, Ferran Torres, Robert Lewandowski, Rashford and Ronald Araujo are among the main candidates not to continue next season."
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 11-05-26.