From the Centenary to the Gamper: Tracing the rich history of Barcelona vs Al Ahly

19.08.26 FT Club Friendlies

Barcelona

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Al Ahly SC

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FC Barcelona are set to host Egyptian and African champions Al Ahly on Wednesday evening in the prestigious Joan Gamper Trophy marking a historic fourth meeting between the two clubs and their first ever clash on Spanish soil.

Read Also: Facing his past to secure his future: Hamza Abdelkarim’s decisive clash against Al Ahly

Historic African milestone at the Camp Nou

Al Ahly will make history on Wednesday by becoming the very first African club to feature in the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona’s traditional annual pre season curtain raiser held ahead of the new campaign.

The invitation reflects the increasingly strong institutional relationship between the two clubs which solidified earlier this year following the transfer of young Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim.

Abdelkarim initially joined the Catalan giants on loan before sealing a permanent switch to Barcelona this summer.

Head-to-Head: Barcelona vs Al Ahly through the decades

While Wednesday's match is their first encounter in Spain, Barcelona and Al Ahly have previously met in three high profile friendly fixtures across Cairo and London:

• 1961 (Cairo, Egypt): Barcelona travelled to Cairo to face Al Ahly at the historic Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium securing a commanding 6-1 victory
  
• 2007 (Cairo, Egypt): The Catalan club returned to the Egyptian capital to take part in Al Ahly’s official Centenary celebrations, with Barcelona earning a 4-0 win at the Cairo International Stadium
  
• 2009 (London, England): The two sides crossed paths on neutral ground at Wembley Stadium in London during the pre season Wembley Cup where Barcelona ran out 4-1 winners

Al Ahly's inclusion in the Joan Gamper Trophy underscores the growing global footprint of Egyptian football and the deep commercial and sporting ties forged through the Hamza Abdelkarim transfer.

For Barcelona, facing the reigning continental champions of Africa provides a competitive and physically demanding final dress rehearsal before competitive action begins.

For Al Ahly, competing at Spotify Camp Nou provides an elite global platform to showcase their squad against top tier European opposition.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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