The incredible World Cup statistic that explains why Barcelona signed Anthony Gordon | OneFootball

Barcelona’s decision to sign Anthony Gordon has been met with considerable excitement among supporters, and it is not difficult to understand why. 

The English winger arrives with Premier League experience, Champions League pedigree and a playing style that appears tailor-made for Hansi Flick’s high-intensity system.

While many fans first noticed Gordon during Newcastle United’s recent encounters with Barcelona in Europe, the club’s recruitment team had been following him long before then. 

His age, experience, work rate and tactical versatility made him one of the standout candidates as Barcelona searched for reinforcements capable of immediately improving the squad.

Now, just days after completing his move to Camp Nou, the England international has provided another reminder of one of his biggest strengths while representing his country at the World Cup.

What’s the story?

Gordon reminded why Barcelona signed him. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)

Gordon started for England in their opening World Cup match against Croatia, a game that may not have showcased his full attacking qualities but still showed why top coaches value him so highly.

Statistically, the winger was not heavily involved in possession, registering just 17 actions during his 72 minutes on the pitch while completing nine of his 11 passes. 

However, statistics alone do not always tell the full story.

Throughout the match, Gordon constantly stretched Croatia’s defence with his movement and relentless running. 

His intensity remained high from start to finish, helping England maintain pressure and forcing mistakes from their opponents.

One of the standout examples came through his pressing, which contributed to several turnovers committed by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

The stat that caught Barcelona’s attention

Gordon’s World Cup debut was not as impressive as he would have hoped. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Although his overall performance was solid rather than spectacular, one number stood above everything else.

According to figures compiled by the CIES Football Observatory and reported by SPORT, Gordon reached an astonishing top speed of 37.92 km/h during the match.

That made him the fastest player recorded at the World Cup after the opening round of fixtures.

The figure becomes even more remarkable when compared to one of the greatest athletes in sporting history, as Gordon’s recorded speed surpassed the average speed achieved by legendary sprinter Usain Bolt during his world-record 100-metre run.

Impressively, the new Barcelona signing currently sits ahead of several elite athletes in the tournament’s speed rankings, including Micky van de Ven (37.38 km/h), Gabriel Martinelli (36.78 km/h), Bradley Barcola (36.72 km/h) and Djed Spence (36.62 km/h).