{"id":10208,"date":"2026-04-23T09:21:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T09:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/10208\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T09:21:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T09:21:08","slug":"barcelona-set-to-face-ajax-in-the-2026-joan-gamper-trophy-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/10208\/","title":{"rendered":"Barcelona set to face Ajax in the 2026 Joan Gamper Trophy match"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sport.es\/es\/noticias\/barca\/ajax-apunta-rival-barca-gamper-129410725\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SPORT<\/a>, AFC Ajax are emerging as the most likely opponent for FC Barcelona in this summer\u2019s Joan Gamper Trophy, after RB Leipzig were ruled out due to scheduling issues.<\/p>\n<p>The Gamper Trophy match is one of the most significant dates in Barcelona\u2019s calendar each year, marking the traditional unveiling of the squad to supporters ahead of the new season. <\/p>\n<p>Beyond the match itself, it has become a celebration for fans, offering a first look at new signings and the team for the upcoming campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Advanced talks with Ajax<\/p>\n<p>As per the report, Barcelona are in advanced talks with Ajax to finalise their participation in this year\u2019s edition, which would carry special significance as it marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Johan Cruyff.<\/p>\n<p>Cruyff\u2019s influence at Barcelona extends far beyond his time as a player and coach, having shaped the club\u2019s footballing identity with his emphasis on attacking play and possession. <\/p>\n<p>Facing Ajax, a club also deeply connected to his legacy, aligns closely with the spirit of the occasion.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/afc-ajax-v-as-roma-uefa-youth-league-round-of-16-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Ajax crest\" class=\"wp-image-197752\"  \/>Ajax set to face Barcelona in the Gamper Trophy match. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>Negotiations have progressed in recent weeks, although the agreement is not yet final and is expected to be confirmed in the coming days. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/barcauniversal.com\/bundesliga-giants-lead-race-to-face-barcelona-in-next-joan-gamper-trophy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">RB Leipzig had initially been lined up as Barcelona\u2019s opponents<\/a> for the Gamper Trophy match, but fixture complications forced the club to reconsider.<\/p>\n<p>The historical and emotional bond between Barcelona and Ajax, closely tied to Cruyff\u2019s legacy, has been decisive in steering the choice towards the Dutch side. <\/p>\n<p>The match would also carry sporting interest, as Frenkie de Jong is set to face his former club for the first time since joining Barcelona in 2019. <\/p>\n<p>The midfielder made his breakthrough at Ajax before moving to Camp Nou, giving the fixture added personal significance. Now, he has <a href=\"https:\/\/barcauniversal.com\/frenkie-de-jong-breaks-historic-barcelona-record\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">become the Dutchman with the most appearances for Bar\u00e7a<\/a>, going past club icon Phillip Cocu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"According to SPORT, AFC Ajax are emerging as the most likely opponent for FC Barcelona in this summer\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10209,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[6425,92,222,223,6426,6427],"class_list":["post-10208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-barcelona","tag-ajax","tag-barcelona","tag-barcelona-news","tag-fc-barcelona","tag-joan-gamper","tag-joan-gamper-trophy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}