Barcelona 2026 Preseason: Schedule, Results, and Upcoming Matches

Barcelona Aims for Third Straight La Liga Title

Barcelona is on track to claim three consecutive La Liga championships for the first time in 16 years. Under coach Hansi Flick, they followed their 2024/25 title with a commanding run to the top again, outpacing rivals Real Madrid. This marks their third league win in four seasons, even as Madrid has reinforced their squad this summer and welcomed back Jose Mourinho to challenge in El Clasico showdowns.

Preseason Match Outcomes and Schedule

Barcelona kicked off preseason with a 4-1 victory over local third-tier side Club Esportiu Europa at their Ciutat Esportiva training ground. Next, they faced English teams Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest, with the latter match held as part of a double-header alongside Serie A club Udinese.

The Blaugrana then secured a 5-2 win against Basel in Switzerland before concluding the preseason with the Joan Gamper Trophy against Egyptian club Al Ahly at Camp Nou, marking the return of the trophy match to their home stadium after renovations.

• Club Esportiu Europa: Win 4-1 on August 24 at Ciutat Esportiva, Barcelona (7:30 a.m. ET)
• Birmingham City: Draw 2-2 on July 31 at St Andrew's, Birmingham (2:45 p.m. ET)
• Nottingham Forest*: Win 1-0 on August 8 at Stadio Friuli, Udine (3 p.m. ET)
• Udinese*: Loss 0-1 on August 8 at Stadio Friuli, Udine (4 p.m. ET)
• Basel: Win 5-2 on August 16 at St. Jakob-Park, Basel (10:30 a.m. ET)
• Al Ahly: Scheduled for August 19 at Camp Nou, Barcelona (Time TBC)

*Matches against Nottingham Forest and Udinese were 45 minutes each.

Venues for Preseason Games

The clash with Birmingham City took place at their home ground, St Andrew's Stadium, during Barcelona's UK training camp based at St. George's Park, England's national team facility. The shortened matches against Nottingham Forest and Udinese occurred at Udinese's Stadio Friuli, while the Basel game was hosted at St. Jakob-Park. The Joan Gamper Trophy will be played at Camp Nou for the first time since 2022 after stadium upgrades.

Return of World Cup Players

Frenkie de Jong joined the team in England following the Netherlands' exit from the World Cup Round of 32 but remains sidelined due to a knee ligament injury. Other players who featured in the tournament, including Spain's champions, France defender Jules Kounde, and England winger Anthony Gordon, returned in time for the Basel match.

Upcoming La Liga Fixtures for 2026/27

Barcelona will start their La Liga title defense with an away game against Elche on August 23. Last season, Barcelona won both encounters 3-1, with Ferran Torres scoring in each match. Afterward, they face two consecutive evening games at Camp Nou against Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano.

• August 23: Elche (Away)
• August 27: Athletic Club (Home)
• August 31: Rayo Vallecano (Home)
• September 6: Valencia (Away)
• September 13: Levante (Away)