The Lionel Messi curse at Barca was broken in 2026.

Marcus Rashford’s free kick not only ended Barcelona’s Champions League jinx but also sealed the end of a troubling era since Lionel Messi’s departure from Camp Nou.

For many years, Lionel Messi’s presence loomed over Barcelona in a way that went far beyond mere memories or nostalgia. Even after his exit, moments on the pitch seemed tethered to the past: tactical patterns hard to change, towering records, and expectations shaped by a standard no one else had set.

As the club entered a rebuilding phase, new faces like Marcus Rashford emerged alongside seasoned stars such as Robert Lewandowski and the young talent Lamine Yamal. Although the new project brought fresh energy, invisible barriers from the Messi era remained, silently reminding that some peaks seemed insurmountable. Yet, on a tense European night, everything changed.

The final match of Barcelona’s Champions League league phase against Copenhagen did not unfold as an instant explosion but rather as a gradually crafted statement. The first half was cautious, but after the break, the home team began to dominate. Goals from Lewandowski, Yamal, and Raphinha shifted the balance, turning uncertainty into overwhelming advantage.

With qualification within reach, the atmosphere at Camp Nou shifted when Rashford was brought on as a substitute with less than 20 minutes left. The English star, still adapting to his new surroundings, played with sharpness, directness, confidence, and decisiveness. In the 85th minute, Rashford delivered the final blow, sealing a 4-1 victory and officially sending Barcelona into the round of 16. The celebration was immediate, but the significance of that moment went far beyond a typical goal.

For the first time since Messi left the club in 2021, Barcelona scored from a direct free kick in the Champions League. The last player to achieve this was Messi himself, on May 1, 2019, when he scored a stunning free kick against Liverpool in the semifinals. More than five years, over 2,000 days, had passed without any Barcelona player replicating that feat on Europe’s biggest stage.

Since Messi’s departure, direct free kicks had become a constant source of frustration for Blaugrana fans. The ball often hit the wall, missed the target, or flew harmlessly over the crossbar. In the Champions League alone, Barcelona had taken over 50 direct free kicks without scoring, until Rashford stepped up.

Across all competitions, the numbers were no better. Barcelona had only scored three goals from free kicks, with the most recent by Ferran Torres in September 2023. In Europe, the drought was absolute until now. Rashford’s goal not only ended a dry spell but also symbolized the closure of an unfinished chapter.

That feeling of “closure” leads to a larger truth: even years after leaving, Messi still holds most of Barcelona’s major records — milestones that pose a huge challenge for the current generation.

Messi’s major records at Barcelona:

• Most appearances in official competitions: 778 matches.

• All-time top scorer in club history: 672 goals.

• Most goals scored for Barcelona in La Liga: 474 goals.

• Winner of the most major titles as a Barcelona player.

• Most appearances for Barcelona in La Liga.

Beyond these headline numbers, the Argentine superstar also holds numerous other records unlikely to be broken anytime soon:

• Most assists in official competitions for Barcelona.

• Most goals scored for the club in European and international club competitions.

• Most hat-tricks in the club’s history.

• Most goals scored for Barcelona in Copa del Rey finals.

• Most victories participated in with the club.

• Unique milestones such as being the youngest player to reach 100 and 200 goals.

Who is chasing Messi’s records?

In the current squad, Lewandowski is the most efficient scorer since Messi, having surpassed 100 goals for the club. However, he still trails Messi by hundreds of goals. This gap is not just symbolic but structural.

Lamine Yamal, though just starting his career, is one of the rare young talents with the age and creativity to be mentioned in long-term discussions about influence and assists. Nonetheless, Messi’s scale of numbers makes any comparison almost purely theoretical.

Rashford’s free kick does not put him in the race to break Messi’s records. But it does mark a special “historical footnote”: the first player in half a decade to help Barcelona score from a direct free kick in the Champions League. A small moment, yet symbolically significant for the journey out of a legend’s shadow.