Marcus Rashford names Lionel Messi as an inspiration ahead of El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid

Barcelona will play the first Clasico of the season against Real Madrid, and Marcus Rashford spoke about Lionel Messi as one of his main sources of inspiration.

Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off on Sunday in the most important match so far of the 2025–26 La Liga season. At stake, among other things, will be the top spot in the standings — but also the pride of both teams. For Marcus Rashford, it will be the first Clasico of his career, and he admitted that Lionel Messi inspires him as he prepares for the match.

During a recent interview with Barcelona’s official YouTube channel, Rashford was asked about how meaningful Sunday’s game is for him. “It’s my first Clasico and I’m looking forward to it because it’s maybe the biggest game there is,” he said. “It’s the most watched game in the world.”

Expanding on that thought, Marcus explained that matches like this are great opportunities to learn, both on and off the field. “It’s just that big of a game that is important, if you want to learn from the best players, especially how to be so good in the most pressured moments, you have to study these games,” the English forward said.

When asked about his very first memory of a Barcelona vs Real Madrid clash, Rashford paused for a moment and recalled a historic match. “I remember, for example, Messi’s hat trick in his early days in El Clasico,” he said.

The game Rashford referred to took place on March 10, 2007, in La Liga at Camp Nou. It was arguably Messi’s first truly stellar performance with Barcelona. Until that day, he had never scored against Real Madrid, but he found the net three times in a 3–3 draw, marking the beginning of a glorious run that would only grow stronger in the years to come.

Messi’s record against Real Madrid

That hat trick in 2007 marked the start of an extraordinary streak for the Argentine forward. From that moment until his departure from Barcelona in 2021, Messi scored a total of 26 goals against Real Madrid — making him the all-time top scorer in El Clasico history.

Messi struck another hat trick against Real Madrid in 2014, in a 4–3 victory at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. In addition to those two unforgettable performances, Leo scored braces on five other occasions. His last goal against Los Blancos came in 2018, in a 2–2 draw.

Real Madrid is also the team Messi has faced the most in his professional career. With Barcelona, he played them 45 times across domestic and international competitions, recording 19 wins, 11 draws, and 15 losses. Later, with Paris Saint-Germain, he met them twice more, earning one win and one defeat.

Rashford knows what Barcelona must do against Real Madrid

In the same interview, Marcus Rashford shared his thoughts on what Sunday’s Clasico at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will be like. “I expect the atmosphere to be really good,” he said. “These games are fantastic to watch. And it’s great because you don’t have to be a Barcelona or Real Madrid fan to enjoy this game. It’s a special game.”

When discussing the mindset Barcelona should have going into the match against Real Madrid, the English forward was clear. “We have to keep continuing and keep pushing to be the best version of us,” he said. “For our team it’s also important to control the game as much as possible. We’ll do what we always do and try to win.”