FC Barcelona have announced that Al Ahly SC will be the opponent for the 61st edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy, set to take place on Wednesday, August 19, at the Spotify Camp Nou.
The traditional curtain-raiser ahead of Barcelona's 2026/27 campaign will also mark the club's first home match of the new season, alongside the official presentation of the first team to the Barça supporters.
The 61st edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy will also celebrate the return of the tournament to the reopened Spotify Camp Nou. Last year's match was staged at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, while the previous two editions were played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
For Al Ahly, the occasion carries historic significance, as the Egyptian giants will become the first club from Egypt and the first African side ever to participate in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Founded in 1907, Al Ahly are widely regarded as Africa's most successful football club, boasting a rich history of domestic and continental success.
The fixture will mark the third meeting between Barcelona and Al Ahly. The two clubs first met in a friendly in Cairo in 1961 before facing each other again during Al Ahly's centenary celebrations in 2007. Nearly two decades later, they will renew their historic rivalry, this time at the Spotify Camp Nou.
Al Ahly's participation further strengthens the club's global profile, with the African Club of the Century becoming the first representative of African football to feature in the prestigious Joan Gamper Trophy.
