57 days after the curtain fell on the 2025-26 season, the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper opens its doors tomorrow to kick off the 2026-27 season. From 9:00 a.m., the non-international first team players are scheduled to undergo the usual medical check-ups. They will be welcomed by Hansi Flick, who cut short his vacation and returned to work on July 6 to start designing a preseason that will begin on Tuesday with a single morning training session. During the week, the team will alternate morning and evening sessions, as well as some days with double sessions.
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Of the first team players, Flick will initially be able to count on only nine players: goalkeepers Ter Stegen and Szczesny; defenders Balde, Christensen, Gerard Martín, and Héctor Fort; midfielders Casadó and Marc Bernal; and Roony Bardghji as the only available forward.
Some of them have already been preparing for the return for several days. Gerard Martín, Bernal, and Balde have trained voluntarily at the club’s facilities during the past week. Also Ter Stegen, already recovered from his injury and pending to finalize his loan to Ajax for one season. He is not the only one whose future points outside Barcelona. Marc Casadó, Bardghji, and Héctor Fort are also awaiting this preseason and a conversation with the coach to evaluate all options. All this follows the sale of Ansu Fati to Monaco and the departure of Robert Lewandowski to Chicago Fire.
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On the same day Flick returned, he also coincided with Fermín López, who since July 6 has been working at the club’s facilities to complete the recovery from the right foot fracture he suffered against Betis. An injury that forced him to undergo surgery and miss the World Cup. The midfielder has already started running on the pitch, and Barça trusts that he can join in the final stretch of the preseason.
The team, which on the 24th will play a closed-door friendly against Europa, from the Primera Federación, will train at the Sant Joan Despí facilities until July 27, when it will start a training camp at St. George’s Park (England), which will last until August 3 with a friendly on July 31 against Birmingham City, a team from the English second division, at their stadium, St. Andrew’s Knighthead Park.
By then, it is expected that some of the internationals who played in the World Cup will gradually join the team. The first will be the Uruguayan Ronald Araujo, eliminated in the group stage, the Dutch Frenkie de Jong, knocked out in the round of 16, and the Brazilian Raphinha, who fell in the round of 16. João Cancelo is also expected to travel to England once his signing for 10 million euros is official, as well as Karim Adeyemi, the new Barça signing pending official confirmation, who did not train with Dortmund this Sunday while the transfer is being finalized for 22 million euros fixed and another 7 in variables.
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The remaining 10 internationals will be enjoying their three weeks of vacation. In fact, FC Barcelona will be the most represented club in the World Cup semifinals. Eight players from the squad are part of Luis de la Fuente’s team: Joan Garcia, Pau Cubarsí, Eric Garcia, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres, the latter with an offer from PSG on the table.
They are joined by Jules Koundé, a starter with France, who will face Spain today in Dallas, and Anthony Gordon, one of Barcelona’s signings for the next season and called up with England, who will seek to reach the final against Argentina.
Mourinho also begins his second cycle at Real Madrid with eight players and four injured
Real Madrid also starts preseason this Monday, marked by José Mourinho’s return to the bench thirteen years after his first stint. He will do so with eight players: Lunin, Trent, Álvaro Carreras, Huijsen, Camavinga, Gonzalo, Mastantuono, and Dumfries, who will undergo medical check-ups, and without the injured Militao, Rodrygo, and Mendy.
Mourinho will have to wait to work with the 13 internationals, including semifinalists Bellingham, Mbappé, Tchouaméni, Konaté, and Cucurella. Before that, they will play two preseason friendlies: on August 1 against Fiorentina in Austria, and on August 12 against Deportivo de La Coruña at Riazor for the Teresa Herrera Trophy.
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