Barcelona win Joan Gamper Trophy; João Cancelo storms off after denied presentation

Barcelona claimed the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 19, 2026, beating Egyptian side Al Ahly 2-1 at Camp Nou in the traditional pre-season fixture. The Catalan club’s goals came from Abdelkarim and Rafinha, securing the win in front of a full house.

Off-field moment steals the headlines

Before kickoff the attention shifted from the pitch to the presentation ceremony. New signing Rodri was introduced to the supporters as a major reinforcement and received strong applause along with most of the squad; Frenkie de Jong, by contrast, was met with whistles from parts of the crowd.

The most talked-about incident involved João Cancelo. According to on-site reports, Cancelo was already dressed to go on and had his No. 2 shirt on, but club staff prevented him from being introduced because his signing had not yet been made official. Annoyed, he left the area and returned to the dressing room.

The episode was captured and shared on social media, including a post that read: "❗| João Cancelo was visibly ANGRY after learning that he would not be announced over the PA system during the Joan Gamper Trophy, despite already being dressed and ready for his presentation wearing the No. 2 shirt. [ @asanchezfallada ] #fcblive pic.twitter.com/dfJT6BUlUI"

Observers called the situation a glaring administrative mistake for one of world football’s biggest clubs, a mishandling that overshadowed parts of the evening and raised questions about the coordination behind the presentation process.

On the field, Barcelona finished the night with the trophy and a last look at their squad ahead of the competitive season, while off it the Cancelo episode dominated post-match conversation.

Photo: press material from the event