Barcelona add EFL Championship opponent to growing pre-season schedule – report

Barcelona add EFL Championship opponent to growing pre-season schedule – report Barcelona’s preparations for the 2026-27 campaign continue to gather momentum, with the club finalising another friendly before the new season begins.  According to Què T’hi Jugues , Hansi Flick’s side will take on Preston North End during their training camp in England, adding another important fixture to an increasingly busy pre-season schedule. The latest Barcelona news confirms that the match will be played behind closed doors on 3 August at St George’s Park, where Barcelona will spend a week preparing for the new campaign.  It will be the club’s second fixture on English soil before returning to Spain to continue preparations. England training camp gives Flick valuable test Barcelona will arrive in England on 27 July, where the squad will begin an intensive training camp under Hansi Flick. Barcelona will face Preston North End in pre-season friendly. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) Their first match during the trip comes against Birmingham City on 30 July before facing Preston North End a few days later.  Although the Preston fixture will not be open to supporters, it provides another opportunity for Flick to assess his squad in a competitive environment before attention turns to the final phase of pre-season. Notably, not every senior player will be available for these matches, as several members of the squad who featured/are featuring at the FIFA World Cup are expected to join later after receiving the mandatory 21-day break agreed between FIFA and FIFPro. That means Jules Kounde will definitely miss the England camp following France’s progress to the World Cup semi-finals , while Spain’s result against Belgium could determine whether more Barcelona internationals are also absent. Barcelona’s pre-season calendar is almost complete With Preston now added to the schedule, Barcelona’s pre-season programme is largely in place . Barcelona’s pre-season preparations are largely in place (Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP via Getty Images) Preparations begin on 13 July before the first friendly against Europa at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on 24 July.  The squad will then travel to England for matches against Birmingham City and Preston North End before heading to Italy. The final overseas stop will see Barcelona compete in a three-team tournament featuring Udinese and Nottingham Forest on 8 August, offering another opportunity to increase players’ match sharpness against quality opposition. Attention will then shift back to Catalonia, where the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy will take place on 19 August, the opponent of which has yet to be announced.