Former Manchester United out-of-favour striker Marcus Rashford made his debut as Barcelona thrashed nine-man Mallorca 3-0 in their La Liga 2025/26 season opener.

Rashford came on in the 69th minute for his Barcelona debut, as the Catalan side began their title defence with a firm statement.

Rashford, who is on a season-long loan from ManU, became the first English player to feature for the first team in a competitive game since Gary Lineker in 1989.

Read also: Barcelona approve €7m loan to register Rashford, Garcia ahead of La Liga opener

The 27-year-old played as a centre-forward but did not have any chances to score.

Rashford and fellow summer recruit Garcia had only been registered with La Liga on the morning of the game because of Barcelona’s financial issues.

Raphinha nodded in the opener following a fine right-wing cross from Lamine Yamal.

Ferran Torres smashed in their second goal, while Mallorca captain Antonio Raillo was lying on the ground in the box with a head injury after blocking a Yamal shot.

Read also: Rashford blames Man United’s managerial instability for poor run

Manu Morlanes, who was booked for dissent in the aftermath of that incident, was shown a second yellow card soon after for a foul on Yamal.

And Vedat Muriqi was sent off for a high boot on debutant Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, a decision upgraded from a yellow card after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.

It took Barcelona 60 minutes, including stoppage time, to score past the nine men, Yamal hammering in their third goal with almost the last kick.

Seyi John Salau is a BusinessDay Correspondent with interest in development journalism, which tells stories that connect the people, brands, and the government. SeyiJohn is also a media professional with BSc, Mass Communition (ACU); Masters of School Media (MSM, Ibadan) & MSc, Mass Communication (Caleb).

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