Barcelona return to Switzerland for third preseason test

Hansi Flick's Barcelona made the trip to the cozy confines of St. Jakob-Park on Sunday, August 16, 2026, for their third assignment of the preseason against FC Basel. With the full squad back at his disposal, the German coach was expected to hand several key players their first minutes of the summer.

"Hansi Flick has his entire squad back available and we will likely see the preseason debuts of Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and new signing Anthony Gordon in this one," the match thread noted ahead of kickoff.

Starting XI and team news

Barcelona lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for the clash in Basel:

Starting XI: Joan; Espart, Christensen, Martín, Balde; Eric, Bernal; Adeyemi, Fermín, Raphinha; Gordon.

Substitutes: Szczesny (GK), Aller (GK), Cubarsí, Cortés, Kounde, Pesquer, Fariñas, Goren, Olmo, Tunkara, Yamal, Bisiwu, Hamza.

The inclusion of Anthony Gordon — described by the club's match coverage as a new signing — alongside the returning Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo headlined the selection, with all three poised to make their preseason bows.

Match details

Competition/Round: 2026 Preseason, Match 3

Date/Time: Sunday, August 16, 2026, 4.30pm CET (Barcelona), 3.30pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 10.30am ET, 7.30am PT (USA), 8pm IST (India)

Venue: St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland

Where to watch: TV3 (Spain) and other broadcasters; FCBarcelona/YouTube (Spain, requires subscription) and additional online platforms.

The fixture offered supporters another opportunity to follow Barcelona's preseason rebuild, with the community match thread inviting fans to comment on all the action while observing the usual etiquette of no illegal streams and respect for one another. "Forever and ever, no matter the competition, VISCA EL BARÇA!"