FC Barcelona - Nottingham Forest live - Football

FC Barcelona take on Nottingham Forest on 8 August 2026 at 20:00 BST at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, in the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup. Barcelona head into the fixture with a mixed pre-season - a 2-2 draw with Birmingham City and a 4-1 win over CE Europa - while Nottingham Forest arrive with 3 wins from their last 5 pre-season games, including a commanding 3-0 over Blackburn Rovers. The clubs have met just 3 times in history; most notably, Forest claimed the 1979-80 UEFA Super Cup against the Blaugrana, winning 2-1 on aggregate.

Match Info: FC Barcelona vs Nottingham Forest

The match takes place on Saturday, 8 August 2026, at 20:00 BST (19:00 UTC) at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, as part of the first edition of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup - a triangular pre-season tournament also featuring host club Udinese Calcio alongside Barcelona and Forest.

Where to Watch FC Barcelona vs Nottingham Forest?

Fans in England can follow the match live through Forest TV, Nottingham Forest's official streaming platform. This is the most accessible option for supporters across the UK who want to watch their side face one of European football's most iconic clubs.

In the USA, the game is available both on CBS Sports Golazo (TV) and Paramount+ (online streaming). Spanish supporters can tune in via TV3 or 3Cat on television, while Movistar+ covers it digitally. Italian fans have Sky Sport Calcio and Sky Sport Uno on the TV side, with NOW TV and Sky Go Italia for online viewing.

Worldwide, the match is also available on Barça Play - Barcelona's own streaming channel - making it accessible for fans across the globe. Portugal's coverage comes via Sport TV4 (TV) and Sport TV Multiscreen (online), while Australia's viewers can stream through beIN Sports Connect Australia. Additional coverage: Norway via VG+, the Netherlands on Ziggo Sport, Israel on Sport 3, New Zealand on beIN SPORTS 1 New Zealand, Bulgaria on MAX Sport 3, and Andorra on TV3.

Match between FC Barcelona and Nottingham Forest - Preview

Two of European football's most storied names meet in Italy for an eye-catching pre-season fixture that is as rich in history as it is in current anticipation.

The Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup is a brand-new tournament in which each of the three fixtures is played over a single 45-minute half, with the clash between Barcelona and Nottingham Forest scheduled as the second game of the evening. For Forest, it will mark their first appearance at the Bluenergy Stadium, whereas Barcelona previously visited Udine for a Champions League match against Udinese back in December 2005. The stadium itself has recent pedigree for prestige events, having hosted the 2025 UEFA Super Cup.

For Barcelona, the meeting with Forest comes at a moment when the side are still building momentum ahead of the 2026/27 La Liga campaign. Their end-of-season form in Spain was inconsistent, and their pre-season has shown flashes of quality alongside defensive vulnerability. Forest, meanwhile, have sharpened their Premier League preparations on the Iberian Peninsula and arrive in Udine on the back of a demanding, high-quality sparring schedule across Portugal.

Head-to-Head: FC Barcelona vs Nottingham Forest

These two clubs have met just 3 times in history - and every single encounter has been of European significance, making this a rivalry with far more weight than its small number of meetings might suggest. Forest's famous 1979-80 UEFA Super Cup triumph over Barcelona stands as one of the most memorable chapters in both clubs' European histories.

All previous head-to-head meetings between the two sides:

• 30 January 1980 - UEFA Super Cup - Nottingham Forest 1:0 FC Barcelona
• 5 February 1980 - UEFA Super Cup - FC Barcelona 1:1 Nottingham Forest
• 23 August 1983 - Joan Gamper Trophy - FC Barcelona 2:0 Nottingham Forest

FC Barcelona - Recent Form

Barcelona arrive in Udine with their 2026/27 pre-season in full swing but with room for improvement: 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses across their last 5 matches, with 10 goals scored and 9 conceded.

Their pre-season opened with a convincing 4-1 win over CE Europa on 24 July, but the follow-up friendly on 31 July against Birmingham City ended 2-2, highlighting that defensive cohesion is still a work in progress. Looking back at their final La Liga outings, Barcelona lost 1-3 to Valencia on the road, bounced back to beat Real Betis 3-1 at home, then suffered another setback - a 0-1 defeat away at Alavés - to close out the league season.

The Blaugrana's offensive output remains strong, but the number of goals conceded across these five matches underlines the challenge Flick's staff faces before the new season begins. The meeting with Forest will offer a useful gauge of where the team stands defensively heading into La Liga.

Nottingham Forest - Recent Form

Nottingham Forest head into the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup in decent shape: 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 defeat from their last 5 pre-season outings, with 9 goals scored and 7 conceded across that run.

Forest's pre-season got off to a strong start with a 2-0 win over Notts County on 18 July, followed by a 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers four days later. A 1-1 draw at Guimarães and a 2-1 win against Portimonense kept the momentum going. However, their final game before heading to Udine - a 1-4 reverse at Sporting CP on 31 July - was a sobering reminder that the squad still has work to do against elite opposition.

Despite that setback, Nuno's side showed enough throughout their Iberian tour to suggest they will be competitive when it counts. The clash with Barcelona provides exactly the kind of high-level test the management would have wanted before the Premier League season gets underway.

Facts and Statistics

FC Barcelona and Nottingham Forest are two clubs whose European paths have crossed on only 3 occasions - yet those meetings have always carried genuine weight. Forest's Brian Clough era, which produced consecutive European Cup wins in 1979 and 1980, saw the Nottingham club challenge and beat some of Europe's greatest sides, including Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup.

• Nottingham Forest won the 1979-80 UEFA Super Cup against Barcelona, beating them 1-0 at City Ground and drawing 1-1 at Camp Nou - winning 2-1 on aggregate.
• Barcelona's only win over Nottingham Forest came in August 1983 - a 2-0 victory in the Joan Gamper Trophy on home soil at Camp Nou.
• Barcelona scored 10 goals across their last 5 matches in all competitions, but also conceded 9 - pointing to clear attacking strength alongside defensive inconsistency.
• Nottingham Forest kept clean sheets in 2 of their 5 pre-season games: the 3-0 win over Blackburn and the 2-0 over Notts County.
• The Bluenergy Stadium in Udine hosted the 2025 UEFA Super Cup, making it one of the most modern and prestigious football venues in Italy.