FC Barcelona will return to work on Monday, December 29th, with the aim of preparing for an intense start to the year, as has been customary in recent seasons, with four titles at stake. The team will have two training days before the New Year's festivities and, afterwards, one more session before the first match of 2026, on Saturday, January 3rd, against Espanyol.
Since the visit to Cornellà, there could be seven more challenges during the month for the team led by Hansi Flick. Only two of them will be played at the Spotify Camp Nou and another pair on neutral ground, as is the case with the Spanish Super Cup. Once the derby against the 'pericos' is overcome, the squad will travel to Arabia to compete for the first trophy of the season.
| MATCH | TOURNAMENT | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Espanyol vs Barça | LaLiga | 03/01/2026 |
| Barça vs Athletic | Spanish Super Cup | 07/01/2026 |
| To be determined | Copa del Rey | January 13, 14 or 15 |
| Real Sociedad vs Barça | LaLiga | 18/01/2026 |
| Slavia Prague vs Barça | Champions League | 21/01/2026 |
| Barça vs Oviedo | LaLiga | 25/01/2026 |
| Barça vs Copenhagen | Champions League | 28/01/2026 |
The Spanish Super Cup, the first title up for grabs to start the year
Barça will debut in the Super Cup on Wednesday, January 7, against Athletic in Jeddah (9:00 PM CEST). The Catalans arrive as League and Cup champions to defend the title obtained in 2025 against Real Madrid (2-5), who will play the second semifinal against Atlético the following day (Thursday 8)
The winners of both semifinals will face each other on Sunday, January 11, in Jeddah to determine the champion. In the last three editions, all played in Saudi Arabia, there was a Clásico in the final, with Barça victories in 2023 and 2025, while Madrid took the title in 2024.
The last Super Cup final without a Barça-Madrid match was in 2022, decided by a 2-0 victory for the 'Merengue' team against Athletic. In that edition, the Whites eliminated the Catalans in the 'semis' (2-3).
Barcelona's matches in the 2026 Spanish Super Cup:
- Semifinal: Wednesday, January 07: vs Athletic Club in Jeddah (21:00 CET).
- Final: Sunday, January 11 in Jeddah (21:00 CET) - to be confirmed.
LaLiga and Copa del Rey Present Major Challenges in January
Once Barcelona's participation in the Spanish Super Cup concludes, the team will set its sights on the Copa del Rey. The round of 16 will be played between Tuesday, January 13, and Thursday, January 15, pending the results of the draw scheduled for Wednesday, January 7
Barça, according to the draw criteria, will face one of the lower-tier clubs that advanced to the round of 16. In this case, Hansi Flick's team will face Albacete, Burgos, Cultural Leonesa, Deportivo de la Coruña, or Racing de Santander. Granada could be added to this list, provided they eliminate Rayo.
After the Copa del Rey round of 16, the Blaugrana team will return to action in LaLiga. On matchday 20, the first of the second half of the season, the Catalans will visit Real Sociedad on Sunday, January 18. The following weekend, the team will finally return to Spotify Camp Nou to host Oviedo, for J21.
Upcoming Barcelona matches in La Liga and Copa del Rey:
- Saturday, January 3: vs Espanyol in Cornellà (21:00 CEST), LaLiga matchday 18.
- January 13-14 or 15: opponent and time to be defined, Copa del Rey Round of 16.
- Sunday, January 18: vs Real Sociedad in San Sebastián, LaLiga matchday 20.
- January 24 or 25: vs Real Oviedo at Camp Nou, LaLiga matchday 21.
Two Champions League matchdays with an obligation to win
In the midst of the league match against Oviedo, Barça must close the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. For matchday 7, the Catalans will visit Slavia Prague on Wednesday, January 21. A week later, on Wednesday the 28th, they will host Copenhagen on the eighth and final matchday of the group stage.
Flick's team, for the moment, occupy 15th place in the standings with 10 points. In this regard, Barcelona must earn the remaining 6 points and wait to see if the 16-unit advantage is enough to enter the TOP-8 that allows clubs to advance directly to the round of 16.
Otherwise, a 16-point lead could guarantee Barça playing in the play-off in February with home advantage, meaning they would play the second leg at home. Furthermore, the Catalans would face one of the teams classified in the lower half of the TOP-24.
Upcoming Barcelona matches in the UEFA Champions League:
- Wednesday, January 21: vs Slavia Prague in Czechia, Champions League matchday 7.
- Wednesday, January 28: vs Copenhagen at Camp Nou, Champions League matchday 8.