Barcelona close to agreeing a deal to play a friendly in Morocco in December | OneFootball

After their proposed match in Miami against Villarreal was cancelled, Barcelona are actively finding ways to restore the lost revenue opportunity by arranging a friendly.

The club have been in talks with authorities over a friendly in Peru, while more recently, the club have received a proposal to play a friendly in Morocco.

Morocco option gaining weight

With both lucrative offers on the table, the Barcelona board must now make a decision, and one is expected soon.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the proposal to play in Morocco is currently considered the most viable and is gaining traction internally.

The preference for Morocco is based purely on logistics. Barça is looking to schedule the match after their final game of 2025 against Villarreal.

But they must do so before the players’ mandatory Christmas holidays begin, as set by the AFE (Spanish Footballers’ Association) agreement.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is looking to maximise revenue generation by playing a friendly in December. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The proximity of the African country is the key advantage. A trip to Morocco would allow for a quick turnaround, with the team potentially travelling in the morning and returning the following evening – a round trip of less than 24 hours.

This makes it far easier to schedule without conflicting with the AFE’s rest-day rules.

In contrast, the trip to Lima, Peru, is significantly longer. The club are concerned that the travel time would make it more difficult to schedule before the Christmas break, especially with a league match against Espanyol looming on January 3rd or 4th.

This is not the first time a Morocco friendly has been discussed. The club rejected a substantial offer to play in Casablanca last summer due to scheduling conflicts with their pre-season tour.

This time, however, the favourable logistics have made it the leading option to generate much-needed revenue.