Barcelona open ticket sales for Al Ahly clash in Joan Gamper Trophy

Barcelona have opened ticket reservations for their Joan Gamper Trophy match against Al Ahly, with the Egyptian club due to visit Camp Nou on Wednesday, 19 August.

Barcelona released the link for supporters to book tickets on Friday, 7 August. The match will begin at 21:00 Egypt time and will form part of the Spanish club’s traditional pre-season fixture.

Al Ahly’s squad arrived in Spain on the evening of Thursday, 6 August, to begin a training camp that will run until 20 August. The team will return from the camp after facing Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy on 19 August.

The Egyptian Premier League is scheduled to begin on 21 August, two days after the match in Barcelona. Al Ahly will start their league campaign against Eastern Company Enppi on Sunday, 23 August, and will finish the first half of the season against Wadi Degla.

The fixture with Barcelona will give Al Ahly the opportunity to add a significant occasion to their history when they take part in the 61st edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy, one of the best-known friendly competitions in European football.

Although the tournament is not a competitive fixture, it holds a special place in Barcelona’s calendar. It is regarded by the club’s supporters as an annual celebration marking the beginning of a new season and serves as the official event at which Barcelona present their squad to the home crowd.

The competition was first held in 1966 on the initiative of Enric Llaudet, who was Barcelona’s president at the time. It was established in honour of the club’s Swiss founder, Joan Gamper, who founded Barcelona in 1899 and was the first figure to lay the foundations of the organisation that would later become one of the world’s biggest football clubs.

The Joan Gamper Trophy has been staged every year since its creation, becoming a longstanding part of Barcelona’s preparations before the start of the season.

During its early years, the tournament featured four teams. The format included two semi-finals, followed by a final and a match to determine third and fourth place.

Barcelona changed the structure in 1997, reducing the event to a single fixture between the Catalan club and an invited opponent. That format remains in place today.

Al Ahly’s meeting with Barcelona will therefore combine a high-profile pre-season test with one of the most established traditions in the Spanish club’s annual programme. It will also come shortly before the Egyptian league campaign begins, giving both sides an opportunity to continue their preparations ahead of their domestic seasons.