Anthony Gordon’s career has followed an unusually steady climb for a player with such explosive natural tools — academy grounding on Merseyside, a breakthrough at Everton, a transformative move to Newcastle United, and now a World Cup campaign good enough to convince Barcelona to pay close to £70 million for him. This profile covers all of it: the clubs, the international story, and exactly how he’s performed on the biggest stage of his career so far.
Early Life and Youth Career
Anthony Michael Gordon was born on 24 February 2001 in Kirkdale, Liverpool. He started out in Liverpool FC’s youth setup as a boy before switching across the city to Everton’s academy at age 11, joining the club he’d go on to support and represent as a first-team player. He progressed through every age group at Goodison Park, picking up the club’s U18 Player of the Season award in 2018 along the way.Who Really Has the Most Clean Sheets in Football History?
Everton: The Breakthrough
Gordon made his senior debut for Everton in a Europa League group match against Apollon Limassol in December 2017, aged just 16 — becoming the youngest player to appear for the club in European competition. His path to regular first-team football wasn’t instant: he made his Premier League debut as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with West Ham United in January 2020, and had a loan spell at Championship side Preston North End in 2021 to gain more consistent minutes.How Spain Can Beat France | StrikerReport
By 2021-22, Gordon had established himself as a first-team regular during one of the most turbulent periods in Everton’s recent history, and was named the club’s Young Player of the Season in recognition of it. His combination of pace, directness and willingness to take defenders on made him one of the more exciting attacking prospects outside the traditional “big six,” and it wasn’t long before bigger clubs came calling.
Newcastle United: Where His Career Took Off
Newcastle United signed Gordon from Everton in January 2023, in a deal reported at up to £45 million. He assisted Sandro Tonali’s opening goal on his full competitive debut in a 5-1 win over Aston Villa at the start of the 2023-24 season, and from there became a central figure in Eddie Howe’s side. Gordon was named Newcastle’s Player of the Season for 2023-24, and his form continued to build across the following two campaigns — culminating in Newcastle’s EFL Cup win in 2024-25, the club’s first major domestic trophy in over half a century, and a strong run through the 2025-26 Champions League that further raised his profile across Europe.
The Move to Barcelona
That form didn’t go unnoticed. In the summer of 2026, Barcelona agreed a deal with Newcastle United to sign Gordon for a fee in the region of £69 million, with the transfer completed on 1 July 2026 — timed just as the World Cup was getting under way. It’s a move that instantly raised expectations, arriving with the kind of price tag and platform that puts a player’s performances under far more scrutiny, on exactly the stage where Gordon was about to have his biggest tournament yet.
International Career
Gordon came through England’s youth pathway from U18 level through to U21s, and was a key part of the England side that won the 2023 UEFA U21 European Championship, scoring twice, adding an assist, and being named the tournament’s Player of the Tournament as well as making the Best XI.
He earned his first senior call-up in March 2024 and made his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Brazil at Wembley that same month. His path to major-tournament football wasn’t immediate, though — he managed just a single substitute appearance, in the 90th minute of England’s final Euro 2024 group game against Slovenia, and was candid afterward about how frustrating it was to watch the tournament mostly from the bench.
His first senior goal came a few months later, in a 5-0 UEFA Nations League win over the Republic of Ireland in November 2024. By the time the 2026 World Cup squad was named, Gordon had built himself into one of Thomas Tuchel’s first names on the teamsheet, arriving in North America with 23 caps and 3 senior goals to his name.
World Cup 2026 Performance
Gordon’s tournament has been a story of earning his place back after being dropped, and he’s answered that challenge every time.
Group Stage — Gordon started England’s opening two group games, a 4-2 win over Croatia and a 0-0 draw with Ghana, before being left out of the side for the final group match, a 2-0 win over Panama, with Marcus Rashford preferred instead.
Round of 32 vs Congo DR — Brought on from the bench with England trailing 1-0, Gordon produced two assists in a 12-minute spell to turn the game around, teeing up Harry Kane for the equaliser in the 75th minute and again for the winner shortly after in a 2-1 comeback win. It made him the first player to record two assists as a substitute in a World Cup knockout-stage match.
Round of 16 vs Mexico — Recalled to the starting line-up for a last-16 clash with co-hosts Mexico, Gordon won the penalty that Kane converted for what proved the decisive goal in a 3-2 win, after England had been reduced to ten men. It was widely described as his standout individual performance of the tournament.
Quarterfinal vs Norway — Starting again, Gordon set up Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time equaliser with a low ball into the box after Norway had taken the lead, before being substituted around the 70-minute mark. England went on to win 2-1 after extra time to reach the semifinals.
Semifinal vs Argentina — Gordon started the semifinal against Argentina on July 15, with England leading 1-0 as the match continues. A result — and, if England progress, Gordon’s route to a possible World Cup final — will be confirmed once the match finishes.
Across the tournament, Gordon has yet to score himself, but his contribution — three assists, a match-winning penalty won, and a habit of showing up in the biggest moments — has made him one of the most talked-about performers of England’s run. For a player who arrived at the World Cup with questions still being asked about his best position and his best role, it’s been about as convincing an answer as he could have given.
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