Barcelona have confirmed the details for this year’s Joan Gamper Trophy, with both the opponent and venue now locked in.
The Catalan side will take on Cesc Fàbregas’ Como 1907 on 10 August, with the match set to be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff instead of the usual Camp Nou, which is still undergoing renovation. It’s a fun twist as the Premier League legend Fàbregas, a former Barça star, now returns as manager of the Serie A side, who debuted their first season in Serie A last year.
🏆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗼 𝟭𝟵𝟬𝟳 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 22, 2025
The match was originally planned to return to the Camp Nou at a reduced capacity, but the necessary permit from Barcelona City Council wasn’t approved in time. Renovation work at the stadium is still clearly ongoing, something that’s been easy to spot in videos shared online, making a return there unfeasible for now.
Instead, the game will be held at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, located just west of the Spotify Camp Nou. It's a much smaller venue, with a capacity of around 6,000, significantly short of the 60,000 seats originally envisioned at our home.
This year’s Joan Gamper Trophy will come with a dose of nostalgia. Cesc Fàbregas returns to face his former club as manager of Como 1907, and Sergi Roberto will also reconnect with familiar faces. Alex Valle, who came through the ranks at Barça B but never made a first-team appearance, is expected to feature as well. Como’s squad also includes several Spanish players such as Albert Moreno, Iván Azón, and Jesús Rodríguez, adding an extra layer of familiarity for fans.
The Joan Gamper Trophy has always been a great way to kick off the season, and this year brings a slightly different feel, a legendary face in the opposing dugout, a tighter, more intimate setting, and one final look at the squad before the new campaign gets underway.