Barcelona’s English preseason tour opened with its second friendly of the summer against Birmingham City on 31 July 2026. It gave Hansi Flick’s squad a test on English soil ahead of the new campaign. ESPN listed the fixture as a friendly and recorded a 2-2 draw after extra time, before Birmingham won the penalty shootout 3-2.
Barcelona were without Marc-André ter Stegen and Frenkie de Jong for the fixture. Ter Stegen was expected to join Ajax, while De Jong was sidelined by injury. Their absence put added focus on players competing for roles under Flick and gave other squad members valuable minutes.
The shootout result offered an early test of Barcelona’s squad depth and match fitness. A 2026-27 Champions League squad listing published by Canarias7 includes Ter Stegen, identified as a goalkeeper, and De Jong, identified as a midfielder, alongside goalkeepers Joan García and Wojciech Szczęsny.
Barcelona’s wider changes extend beyond the pitch to the redevelopment of Montjuïc’s Fira. El Nacional reported on 28 July 2026 that work had begun with the demolition of two pavilions. Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni and Catalan minister Romero reiterated a target of completing the intervention’s first phase in 2029. More details are available in this report on the Montjuïc Fairgrounds overhaul.
Preseason matches give clubs a chance to fine-tune their squads and strategies before official competitions begin. Barcelona’s 2-2 draw and 3-2 shootout defeat to Birmingham offered an early indication of the demands on Flick’s players as they prepare for the 2026 campaign.
