Barcelona completed their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 victory over Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the 2026 Joan Gamper Trophy at Spotify Camp Nou.
Hamza Abdelkarim opened the scoring against his former club before Raphinha converted a penalty shortly before half-time. Zizo pulled one back for Al Ahly in the 51st minute, but Barcelona held on to secure their 48th Joan Gamper title.
The match, played on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, was the 61st edition of the Joan Gamper Trophy. It was also the first Gamper staged at Spotify Camp Nou in four years, with 54,224 supporters in attendance, according to FC Barcelona’s official match report.
Barcelona vs Al Ahly: Match summary
Barcelona controlled the opening stages through aggressive pressing and patient possession. FermÃn López repeatedly attacked the space behind Al Ahly’s defence, while Raphinha offered the hosts’ main threat from wide areas.
The pressure produced a breakthrough in the 29th minute. Raphinha combined with Alejandro Balde, whose low delivery from the byline found Abdelkarim in the penalty area. The Egyptian forward finished first time to give Barcelona a deserved lead.
It was a particularly emotional moment for the 18-year-old, who developed at Al Ahly before joining Barcelona. He chose not to celebrate against his boyhood club.
Barcelona doubled their advantage just before the interval. Raphinha reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the area and was fouled, allowing the Brazilian to score from the resulting penalty.
The hosts therefore entered half-time with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Zizo gives Al Ahly hope after half-time
Hansi Flick made six substitutions at the break as he attempted to give more members of his squad valuable minutes before the start of La Liga.
The changes briefly disrupted Barcelona’s rhythm, and Al Ahly capitalised in the 51st minute. A quick counterattack ended with Zizo controlling the ball before beating Joan Garcia to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Barcelona continued creating opportunities despite Al Ahly’s improved second-half performance. Anthony Gordon had a goal disallowed because of a foul during the build-up and later forced goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy into an important save.
Karim Adeyemi also went close twice, including a powerful attempt from outside the penalty area that narrowly missed the target.
Gordon had a final opportunity to restore Barcelona’s two-goal advantage after winning a penalty in the 89th minute. However, El Shenawy saved the spot kick and kept Al Ahly in the contest until the final whistle.
The official Barcelona vs Al Ahly match page confirms the 2-1 final score, the three goalscorers and the attendance at Spotify Camp Nou.
Hamza Abdelkarim impresses against his former club
Abdelkarim’s performance was one of the biggest positives for Barcelona.
The young Egyptian displayed intelligent movement, composure in front of goal and a willingness to contribute to Barcelona’s pressing game. His strike was his fourth goal of pre-season and his first at Spotify Camp Nou.
Barcelona permanently signed Abdelkarim from Al Ahly earlier in 2026, securing the forward on a contract running until June 2029. The club’s official announcement highlighted the youngster’s six goals in nine league appearances for Barcelona’s Under-19 team during the previous campaign.
His successful first-team audition against Al Ahly will strengthen his case for more senior opportunities during the new season.
Raphinha leads Barcelona by example
Raphinha also delivered a confident performance while acting as Barcelona’s first captain for the evening.
The Brazilian helped create the opening goal, won the penalty and converted it to make the score 2-0. His energy and leadership were important as Barcelona dominated the first half.
Before kick-off, Raphinha and Flick addressed the supporters during the presentation of the 2026/27 squad. New signing Rodri received one of the evening’s biggest welcomes as he greeted the Camp Nou crowd.
The celebration gave Barcelona supporters an early look at a refreshed squad combining experienced players, major signings and emerging prospects such as Abdelkarim and Xavi Espart.
What the result means for Barcelona
Winning the Joan Gamper Trophy provides Barcelona with a positive conclusion to pre-season, but the performance also gave Flick areas to review.
Barcelona’s first-half pressing, movement and chance creation were encouraging. However, the drop in control after the interval showed the importance of maintaining defensive concentration when the personnel or tactical structure changes.
The missed late penalty also prevented Barcelona from giving the scoreline a more comfortable appearance.
Attention now turns to La Liga. Barcelona begin their title defence away to Elche on Sunday, 23 August 2026. Kick-off at the MartÃnez Valero is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CEST, according to the official Barcelona fixture page.
Elche vs Barcelona betting angle
The main betting lean for Sunday is Barcelona to win.
Barcelona have won 14 of their 15 competitive meetings with Elche since 2011, with the other match ending in a draw. They have also won each of the last five meetings listed on the club’s official fixture page.
For bettors seeking a slightly higher potential return, Barcelona to win and over 1.5 total match goals is another market worth considering. Each of the five most recent meetings produced at least two goals, while Barcelona showed enough attacking quality against Al Ahly to create several clear chances.
A more cautious alternative is Barcelona over 1.5 team goals, subject to the confirmed starting line-up and available price.
The Gamper performance also offered a warning against taking an aggressive Barcelona clean-sheet bet. Al Ahly’s goal demonstrated that Flick’s side can leave space during defensive transitions, particularly after substitutions.
No betting selection is guaranteed. Check the confirmed line-ups, compare the available odds and only stake an amount you can afford to lose. Betting is restricted to adults who meet the minimum legal age in their jurisdiction.
BANGBET MORE THAN WIN!
