Barcelona 2026 Preseason and La Liga Kickoff Details
Barcelona are chasing their first hat-trick of La Liga titles in 16 years this season. After a strong 2024/25 campaign under Hansi Flick, where they outpaced rivals Real Madrid, the club looks stable despite Madrid’s significant summer signings and the return of Jose Mourinho to their bench for another El Clasico season.
Preseason Match Schedule and Outcomes
The preseason began with a commanding 4-1 victory over local third-division side Club Esportiu Europa at their training facility, Ciutat Esportiva.
Next came matches against English teams Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest. The latter was part of a doubleheader event alongside Serie A club Udinese, both featuring shorter 45-minute matches.
Barcelona secured a 5-2 win at Swiss club Basel before preparing for the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy, set to feature Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
- Club Esportiu Europa (W 4-1): August 24, Ciutat Esportiva, Barcelona, 7:30 a.m. ET
- Birmingham City (D 2-2): July 31, St Andrew's, Birmingham, 2:45 p.m. ET
- Nottingham Forest* (W 1-0): August 8, Stadio Friuli, Udine, 3 p.m. ET
- Udinese* (L 1-0): August 8, Stadio Friuli, Udine, 4 p.m. ET
- Basel (W 5-2): August 16, St. Jakob-Park, Basel, 10:30 a.m. ET
- Al Ahly: August 19, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Time TBC
*Note: Matches against Nottingham Forest and Udinese lasted 45 minutes each.
Venues for the Preseason Matches
The game against Birmingham City took place at their St Andrew's Stadium during Barcelona's UK training camp based at St. George's Park, England’s national teams' training ground.
The shortened matches with Nottingham Forest and Udinese happened at Udinese’s Stadio Friuli in Italy, while the Basel match was at their St. Jakob-Park stadium.
The Joan Gamper Trophy will be hosted at Camp Nou for the first time since 2022 after recent renovations.
Return of World Cup Players
After the Netherlands exited the World Cup in the Round of 32, Frenkie de Jong joined Barcelona's England trip but faces a long recovery due to a knee ligament injury.
Other players involved in the World Cup, including Spain’s champions, France’s Jules Kounde, and England’s Anthony Gordon, returned for the Basel match.
First La Liga Matches of the 2026/27 Season
Barcelona start their La Liga title defense on August 23 with an away fixture against Elche. Last season, they won both encounters 3-1, with Ferran Torres scoring in both games.
Following that, Barca have consecutive night games at home against Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano.
- August 23: vs Elche (Away)
- August 27: vs Athletic Club (Home)
- August 31: vs Rayo Vallecano (Home)
- September 6: vs Valencia (Away)
- September 13: vs Levante (Away)
