Udinese Calcio - FC Barcelona live - Football

Udinese Calcio take on FC Barcelona on Saturday, 8 August 2026, at Bluenergy Stadium in Udine as part of the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup - a three-team pre-season tournament also featuring Nottingham Forest. Udinese head into the clash without a win from their five summer friendlies (0 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses), while Barcelona are unbeaten in their 2 pre-season tests. In the two sides' only historical meetings - both in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage - Barcelona won on each occasion, scoring 6 and conceding just 1.

Match Info: Udinese Calcio vs FC Barcelona

The match between Udinese Calcio and FC Barcelona kicks off on Saturday, 8 August 2026 at 9:00 PM BST (21:00 local) at Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, as part of the inaugural edition of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup - a pre-season friendly tournament designed to sharpen both sides ahead of the 2026/27 domestic campaigns.

Where to Watch Udinese Calcio vs FC Barcelona?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can follow the match online via Barça Play, which carries the broadcast globally. Fans in the USA have a choice between Paramount+ for streaming and CBS Sports Golazo on linear television - two of the most accessible options for American audiences.

In Italy, where local interest in Udinese will be at its highest, the clash is available on Sky Sport Calcio, Sky Sport Uno and the free-to-air TV 12. Italian viewers can also stream through Sky Go Italia and NOW TV. Spanish fans can tune in on TV3 and, for online viewing, 3Cat or Movistar+. Portugal is covered by Sport TV4 on TV and Sport TV Multiscreen online.

Beyond those markets, Bulgarian viewers can watch on MAX Sport 3, Israeli fans on Sport 3, Norwegian fans on VG+, Russian viewers on Match! Football 1 and Sportbox.ru, and supporters in Australia and New Zealand through beIN Sports Connect.

Match between Udinese Calcio and FC Barcelona - Preview

The meeting of Udinese and Barcelona closes the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, a tournament played across three 45-minute matches on the same day, with Nottingham Forest completing the trio. It marks Barcelona's first return to Udine in almost 21 years, since their Champions League visit in December 2005.

The tournament is organised by Udinese as part of an international promotional initiative for the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, which is using sport to raise its global profile. Bluenergy Stadium - originally Stadio Friuli, opened in 1976 and extensively redeveloped a decade ago - holds 25,144 spectators and recently hosted the UEFA Super Cup, underscoring its standing as one of Italy's premier venues.

For Hansi Flick's Barcelona, the match in Udine offers a further chance to test squad combinations ahead of the 2026/27 La Liga season. For Udinese, facing a side of Barcelona's calibre just days before their first Coppa Italia fixture is a demanding but valuable test of where they currently stand. A win for the hosts would deliver a welcome confidence boost after a winless pre-season run.

Head-to-Head: Udinese Calcio vs FC Barcelona

The two clubs have met officially only twice in their history, and Barcelona dominated both encounters entirely: the Catalan side outscored Udinese 6:1 across the two matches during the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage, leaving a record that speaks clearly of the gulf that existed between the clubs at that time.

Here are the only two official meetings between the sides:

• 28 September 2005 - UEFA Champions League, Group Stage - FC Barcelona 4:1 Udinese
• 8 December 2005 - UEFA Champions League, Group Stage - Udinese 0:2 FC Barcelona

Udinese Calcio - Recent Form

Udinese have struggled for consistency throughout their 2026/27 pre-season, going winless across all five summer friendlies - 2 draws and 3 defeats - with a goal difference of 6 scored and 10 conceded.

Their summer began modestly with a 2:2 draw against NK Istra 1961 at home in mid-July, but the results worsened from there: a 0:2 away defeat to Swansea City was followed by a 1:2 home loss to Shabab Al Ahli Dubai. A bright spot came with a spirited 3:3 draw against FSV Mainz 05 at home, yet the run closed with a 0:1 loss away to Trabzonspor. The defensive frailties evident throughout the pre-season make the clash with Barcelona a stern examination for Andrea Sottil's side.

FC Barcelona - Recent Form

Barcelona arrive in Udine unbeaten across their 2 pre-season friendlies so far - a 2:2 draw with Birmingham City and a 4:1 win over Europa FC - suggesting that Flick's squad is gradually building momentum into the new season.

The end of the 2025/26 La Liga campaign was more uneven: Barcelona closed out with a 0:1 defeat away to Alavés, followed by a 3:1 win at home to Real Betis, before losing 1:3 away to Valencia. That mixed finish adds context to the summer work Flick's staff is carrying out in pre-season. The Udinese match comes at a point where both attack and defensive solidity are clearly being tested, and the Italian ground should provide a worthy examination ahead of the competitive season.

Facts and Statistics

Udinese Calcio and FC Barcelona have a remarkably short competitive history, with only 2 official meetings on record - both coming in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage, when Rijkaard's Barcelona were among the most formidable club sides in the world. Saturday's match in Udine will be their first encounter in more than two decades.

• Barcelona won both historical meetings against Udinese, scoring 6 goals and conceding just 1 across the two fixtures.
• Barcelona's last visit to Udine was on 8 December 2005, a 2:0 win in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
• Udinese are winless in all 5 pre-season friendlies ahead of this match, with 2 draws and 3 defeats and a goal difference of -4.
• Bluenergy Stadium - capacity 25,144 - recently hosted the UEFA Super Cup, one of European football's premium neutral-venue events.
• The Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup uses a round-robin format with 45-minute matches; draws are decided by a penalty shootout, with three points for a win and two for a shootout victory.