Confirmed: Barcelona face Udinese, Nottingham Forest in pre-season triangular tournament | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have officially announced that they will continue preparations for the 2026/27 season by taking part in the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, an international pre-season tournament to be held on August 8 at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy.

The Blaugrana will compete alongside hosts Udinese and Premier League side Nottingham Forest in a three-team tournament designed to help all three clubs build match fitness ahead of their domestic campaigns.

Organized by Udinese, the tournament is part of an initiative by the Friuli Venezia Giulia region to promote the area through major international sporting events.

Barcelona’s appearance in Udine will mark the club’s first visit to the Italian city in almost 21 years.

Their only previous match there came on December 7, 2005, when Barcelona faced Udinese in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Part of Barcelona’s pre-season schedule

For Hansi Flick’s side, the competition provides another valuable opportunity to gain competitive minutes against high-level opposition before the start of the new season.

The Catalans already have announced friendlies against CE Europa (July 24) and Birmingham City (July 31), with two more fixtures now getting added to the list.

Along with these matches, Barça are expected to play two additional fixtures and conclude their pre-season preparation with the Joan Gamper Trophy match.

Tournament Format

The Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup will feature three 45-minute matches played in a round-robin format.

The schedule is as follows: Udinese vs Nottingham Forest, Barcelona vs Nottingham Forest, followed by Udinese vs Barcelona

Pre-season preparations continue. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

If any match ends level after 45 minutes, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout.

Teams will receive three points for a victory in normal time, two points for winning on penalties, and one point for losing on penalties.

The matches will be played at the Bluenergy Stadium, which recently hosted the UEFA Super Cup and has become a regular venue for major international football events.

The tournament will give supporters another chance to watch Barcelona in action before the official start of the 2026/27 campaign, as Flick continues preparing his squad for the challenges ahead.