Barcelona World Cup spotlight: Anthony Gordon wins decisive penalty for England | OneFootball

It was a day of exhilarating football at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with two excellent games: Brazil vs Norway and Mexico vs England.

Both games lived up to the pre-match billing. Erling Haaland and Norway found a way to send the five-time champions out of the tournament.

Brazil had an opportunity to take an early lead from the spot, but Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes saw his effort saved.

From then on, it was a cagey affair, with both teams having their fair share of chances. Endrick had another clear opportunity to put Brazil ahead but failed to hit the target.

Erling Haaland waited until the 80th minute before taking control of the tie and scoring a brace to put his side in the quarter-finals.

Brazil did get one back very late in stoppage time, with Neymar Junior converting from the spot, but that goal did not mean much.

England travelled to the Azteca with so much chatter about the altitude ahead of the game, but they also had to bury the ghosts of the ‘Hand of God’ goal from 1986.

Mexico and England played out a thriller of a game and, despite being a man down for close to half an hour, Tuchel’s side found a way to stay alive in the tournament.

Anthony Gordon won the penalty for England. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)

From a Barça perspective, Raphinha did not play for Brazil despite recovering enough to be on the bench, while Anthony Gordon played the entire 90 minutes for England.

Let us see how the Englishman fared.

Anthony Gordon vs Mexico

Anthony Gordon’s World Cup is starting to look like a real story, not just a collection of useful cameos.

The Barcelona winger started for England in their dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, a match packed with pressure, noise and momentum swings.

For Gordon, this was another step forward. He did not score, but he was directly involved in one of the game’s decisive moments, winning the penalty that Harry Kane converted to make it 3-1.

England were under real pressure by then. Jude Bellingham had scored twice early, Mexico had pulled one back, and Jarell Quansah’s red card had changed the mood of the match completely.

This is exactly the kind of performance that makes Gordon interesting.

He is not always the cleanest winger in possession, but he gives defenders problems with speed, bravery and direct running.

Gordon was very decisive against Mexico. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Against Mexico, that directness had value.

Gordon looked lively on the left, beat his marker a couple of times, played a role in England’s second goal and won the penalty for the third.

For Barça fans, the biggest takeaway is not just the penalty. It is the confidence to keep attacking in a hostile knockout match.

At Barcelona, wide players cannot hide. They have to demand the ball, isolate defenders and turn pressure into chances.

Gordon did that well here. He gave England an outlet when the match became stretched, and his running helped stop Mexico from completely trapping England after the red card.

There is still room for improvement. Barcelona supporters will want more precision in the final pass and more control in tight combinations.

However, his last two knockout performances have shown something important: he can affect games when the stakes are high.

That is the most valuable trait.