A defining week awaits Barcelona's Anthony Gordon. His club faces Paris St-Germain on Tuesday, Real Madrid arrives for the Clasico on Sunday, and the Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place on Monday in London. It is a glamorous stretch for the 23-year-old winger, whose team-mate Lamine Yamal and England captain Harry Kane are both contending for the prestigious individual award.
According to Sky Sports, Gordon completed the full 90 minutes in Barcelona's Champions League encounter with PSG and is expected to play a prominent part in the Madrid fixture. As for the Ballon d'Or itself, Gordon makes no secret of his desire to one day be mentioned among the contenders.
I've always dreamt of that since a kid. I've never had a limit on what I can do in life because I understand that the people who are there at some point weren't there.
Speaking at an England camp, Gordon elaborated on his philosophy.
I believe anyone can achieve anything they put their mind to - they just need a lot of luck. Things like that are about preparation. When preparation meets luck you get that kind of opportunity. So I'm trying to do everything I can to be the best player I can be. Hopefully I get a lot of luck and then we'll see.
Some observers might dismiss such aspirations as unrealistic. Yet Gordon's unwavering self-belief and commitment to improvement have propelled him to new heights this season.
Barcelona's decision to sign Gordon in May raised eyebrows, particularly since they could have pursued his England colleague Marcus Rashford on loan following a successful spell at the club. Instead, the Spanish giants invested £69.3m in Gordon, a statement of confidence in the young winger's potential.
That backing proved justified. Gordon delivered an impressive World Cup display for England, finding the net in the semi-final against Argentina and establishing himself as his country's preferred left-winger ahead of Rashford.
His Barcelona debut in August was an instant success, with two assists making an immediate impression on the Camp Nou faithful. Since then, he has accumulated four assists across 10 LaLiga matches. His first two goals for the club arrived after the most recent international break, during which he scored three times in three games for England, including a striking breakaway finish against Spain.
The individual achievements of Kane and Yamal represent extraordinary heights, yet Gordon views Barcelona as the perfect environment to continue his upward trajectory and demonstrate to Premier League audiences the full scope of his abilities beyond what they may have previously observed.
Gordon is already sensing a transformation in his playing style. When asked by Sky Sports whether training alongside electric talents such as Yamal and Raphinha was influencing his development, he responded affirmatively.
Definitely. I played in a completely different style under Eddie Howe in Newcastle. We played a really intense back-and-forth. It was always quite exciting games, whereas at Barca, the intensity is a lot more slow because we control the ball so much and we've been quite dominant so far.
I pride myself on having high football IQ and making the right decisions. Sometimes I probably should be more selfish as a player, but it's not really my nature. So I think going to a team like Barcelona has really suited me. And it's maybe highlighting strengths that people didn't know that I had or maybe overlooked. Because I'm fast and because I press, that's kind of the only thing people ever speak about, but I've actually got a lot more to my game than those two things.
Gordon's statistical profile reflects the different tactical demands he now faces in Spain. With Barcelona controlling possession in most matches, he receives the ball more frequently and enjoys greater opportunities to demonstrate his attacking threat. His output in shots, chances created, dribbles and passes has all increased compared to his Newcastle tenure, though his crossing numbers have declined—a natural consequence of Barcelona's possession-based approach.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has praised Gordon's contributions.
He has speed. He can control the ball. He helps us a lot with his dribblings, always being able to create chances,the German coach said in assessment.
Gordon's impact has been particularly notable since his first goal for Barcelona. According to The New York Times, Gordon scored in Barcelona's 3-0 victory over Getafe on 10 October, marking his maiden goal for the club. RotoWire reported that he subsequently netted again in Barcelona's 4-1 Champions League win against Galatasaray on 13 October, finishing from a Lamine Yamal assist in the 53rd minute.
Gordon and fellow summer recruit Karim Adeyemi are providing reliable depth on the left flank for Flick's system. The arrangement has allowed Raphinha to operate as a centre-forward, where he has posted impressive goal tallies, while Gordon regards Yamal on the opposite wing as the finest winger in world football at present.
The combination creates a formidable Barcelona attacking unit—one that will present a significant challenge for Real Madrid's defenders when they visit the Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday. Gordon signed a five-season contract with Barcelona running through 30 June 2031, underlining the club's long-term commitment to his development.
When the global audience tunes in for the Clasico this weekend, Gordon will have the platform to demonstrate his rising stature among elite players. His Newcastle record—17 goals in his final season, including 10 in the Champions League—shows what he is capable of delivering at the highest level.
What happens next
The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, 26 October, at London's Palladium Theatre, with Thierry Henry and Kate Scott hosting. Before that, Gordon will face PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday and then the Clasico on Sunday evening. Barcelona's performance in both fixtures could strengthen his case for future individual recognition, even if this year's award appears destined for Kane or Yamal.
