Officially: Barcelona reveal their new opponent before facing Al-Ahly

Barcelona have announced a new friendly match as part of their preparation programme for the upcoming 2026-2027 season.

According to Barcelona's official website, Hansi Flick's side will travel to face Switzerland's Basel on Sunday 16 August, at 4:30pm Central European Summer Time. The venue is St. Jakob-Park, one of Switzerland's most prominent football stadiums.

The trip to Basel will be the team's third fixture of pre-season, following the friendly against Birmingham City and the triangular tournament in Udine against Nottingham Forest and Udinese.

Rounding off the build-up before the season officially begins is the Joan Gamper Trophy against Egypt's Al Ahly, which will also see the team formally presented to their fans at their home ground.

Previous meetings

Barcelona and Basel have met twice in official competitions. Both fixtures came in the group stage of the Champions League during the 2008-2009 season.

At St. Jakob-Park, the Catalan side ran out 5-0 winners, with Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Bojan Krkic (two) and Xavi Hernandez all on the scoresheet. The return at the Camp Nou finished 1-1, Messi scoring again.

Long before those meetings, Barcelona faced a team representing the city of Basel twice in the European Fairs Cup during the 1958-1960 season.

They won both. A 2-1 victory away was followed by a 5-2 triumph in the return. Confirming replacement opponents for friendly fixtures ensures coaching staff can continue testing tactical variations without disrupting pre-season plans. If you want to place mobile predictions on these newly arranged matches, selecting an app with quick market updates is essential. Take a look at our curated list of the best betting apps available in India.

A stadium that holds special memories

Basel holds a special place in Barcelona's history. The city hosted the European Cup Winners' Cup final on 16 May 1979, when the Catalan side beat Fortuna Dusseldorf 4-3 in an unforgettable encounter that went into extra time.

That victory earned Barcelona the first major European title in their history. The match also witnessed unprecedented fan support, with around 30,000 of the team's supporters travelling to Switzerland to back the players, the first massive fan trip by Barcelona's supporters outside their home to attend a European final.

More than four decades later, Barcelona return to Basel, the city forever linked to one of the most unforgettable chapters in the club's history.