It could be a pre-season deal between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with Juventus confirmed as Barcelona’s opponents in the Joan Gamper Trophy in August.
The game is held annually in August and has seen Barça face the biggest teams around the world. Previous competitors include Arsenal, Boca Juniors, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
? BREAKING NEWS! Men and women face Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy! ?
– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) 23 July 2021
This summer’s showdown will reunite two football icons through the ages who previously fought in La Liga during Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid.
It will also be the first time Barcelona Femení participates, with both matches on Sunday 8 August. The games will see fans return to Camp Nou for the first time since coronavirus restrictions were introduced, but Barça have confirmed that the stadium will only have a capacity of 20 percent.
The two teams previously met in the Joan Gamper Trophy in 2005 in a match where Andres Iniesta, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet all did before Juve won 4-2 on penalties.
Messi and Ronaldo have both been busy this summer. Messi led Argentina to its first Copa America title since 1993, his first major international honor ever, while Ronaldo played for Portugal at Euro 2020 when Selecao was knocked out in the last 16, although he won the Golden Boot.
While they have still been active on the pitch, the future of both players is still uncertain.
Messi and Ronaldo recently met in the Champions League / David Ramos / Getty Images
While Barcelona have in principle reached an agreement with Lionel Messi on a new contract that includes a salary reduction of 50 percent for the 34-year-old, the deal has not yet been officially announced. The club’s financial difficulties have not helped the matter.
On the other hand, Ronaldo is expected to stay at Juve despite quarrels over his future, where La Vecchia Signora is one of a number of clubs that want to balance their books after a difficult budget year.
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