Marcus Rashford has at last fulfilled a long-held footballing ambition, gracing the iconic turf of the Camp Nou as a Barcelona player. The Manchester United loanee, who had been sidelined for the stadium's grand re-opening due to illness, made his appearance as a second-half substitute in Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Alaves on Saturday.
A Dream Deferred
The England international's wish to play at the legendary ground was initially put on hold. Barcelona had been playing their home fixtures at the Olympic Stadium while their famous home underwent extensive £1.3billion redevelopment works. The club received permission to return to a partially opened Camp Nou last weekend for a match against Athletic Club, but Rashford was forced to watch from the sidelines, struck down by illness.
After completing his season-long loan move from Old Trafford, Rashford had been vocal about his excitement. "It's a beautiful stadium and when it is full it's going to be unbelievable," he said. "Camp Nou was always one of my favourite stadiums and one I wanted to play in. But to play on it for Barcelona is going to be a different feeling."
Thriving in La Liga
His patience was rewarded against Alaves, where he came on for Marc Bernal at half-time. The match was sealed by a goal from teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and a brace from Dani Olmo. Rashford's cameo marked another positive step in a loan spell that has revitalised his career after falling out of favour with United manager Ruben Amorim.
The 28-year-old forward has been in impressive form, contributing six goals and nine assists in his 17 appearances for the Catalan titans. This rich vein of form makes Barcelona's option to make the move permanent for a reported £26 million next summer an increasingly likely outcome.
Future of the Camp Nou
The storied stadium's return is only the beginning. The full redevelopment is scheduled for completion in 2027, at which point the capacity will expand to 105,000, cementing its status as the fifth-largest stadium in the world. In the meantime, the La Liga table-toppers have applied to UEFA to host their remaining Champions League home games at the Camp Nou this season.
Barcelona's focus now shifts to a crucial home clash with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, December 2, followed by a trip to face Real Betis. Their next European challenge comes on Tuesday, December 9, against Eintracht Frankfurt.
