The Joan Gamper Trophy clash will soon be upon us, and this season will mark the first time that the annual curtain-raiser will be staged in the newly renovated Camp Nou. So this is an occasion, to say the least, as the 2026-27 season kickoff draws closer. Barcelona will be defending their La Liga title, so big things are expected. With that in mind, we expect manager Hansi Flick to pick a pretty strong team here- some starters, to go along with some reserves.
It should be a good mix and match kind of lineup.
Joan Gamper Trophy Match FYIs
Preseason Friendly: FC Barcelona vs Al Ahly SC
Kickoff: Wednesday Aug. 19, 8pm CEST
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Predicted Starting XI
Look for Lamine Yamal, Wojciech Szczesny; Xavi Espart, Brian Farinas; Karim Adeyemi, Fermin Lopez and Raphinha to all probably get major minutes in this one, but we didn’t pick any of them for our first team here, but then again, hey, we could be totally wrong!
FC Barcelona Predicted Starting XI vs Al Ahly SC
Joan Garcia; Eric Garcia, Andres Christensen, Gerard Martín, Alejandro Balde; Marc Bernal, Jesse Bisiwu; Karim Adeyemi, Fermin López, Anthony Gordon; Hamza Abdelkarim.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.