Barcelona have confirmed that they will play Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy ahead of the 2021/22 season. This potentially will bring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to face each other, much to the delight of fans.
Barcelona will take on Juventus in the 56th Joan Gamper Trophy, the club has confirmed. The trophy – for the first time ever – will be contested by both the Men’s and the Women’s teams in back-to-back games on August 8. The Women’s game will kick off at 6:00 PM CEST, followed by the Men’s at 9:30 PM CEST.
The match will provide fans with an opportunity to watch Lionel Messi take on Cristiano Ronaldo. Barcelona have been permitted to operate Camp Nou at 20 percent capacity for the mini-tournament, meaning that 20,000 fans will get to witness the pair live. Messi’s appearance in the match, however, remains tied to his current contract situation. As it stands, the Argentinian is a free agent despite Barcelona’s attempts to re-sign him on a long-term contract.
Nonetheless, the August 8 meeting between the two clubs promises to be a historic affair, with the Barcelona Women’s Team stepping onto the Camp Nou pitch only for the second time. The club also announced via its official website that both the Men’s and Women’s teams will be presented to the audience inside the stadium in between the two matches.
Barcelona last met Juventus for the Joan Gamper Trophy in 2005 in a match that featured a young Messi. Another youngster – Andres Iniesta – scored that night for the Blaugrana, along with Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet’s goals for Juventus ensured the match finished 2-2 in regular time. Juventus won the subsequent penalty shootout 4-2.
Meanwhile, Barcelona met Juventus twice in a competitive match last season, both during the UEFA Champions League group stage. Barcelona beat Juventus 2-0 in Turin, with Messi scoring a late penalty. Meanwhile, the Spanish giants lost at home in the return fixture 3-0, courtesy of a brace from Ronaldo.
