Barcelona announce December friendly vs. América in Dallas

Exciting news for soccer fans as Barcelona is set to face off against Mexican powerhouse Club América in a friendly match at Dallas’ Cotton Bowl on Dec. 21, as announced by the LaLiga club on Friday.

This game will mark Barcelona’s final match before their winter break and comes just one day after their LaLiga match against Almería.

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Interestingly, this will only be the second time that Barcelona has played a friendly during the December window. The last time was on Dec. 14, 2021, when the club traveled to Saudi Arabia to play Boca Juniors as a posthumous tribute to Diego Maradona.

Sources have revealed that the coaching staff was considering a friendly match in the U.S. for either Dec. 21 or 22. Coach Xavi Hernandez saw the opportunity to generate revenue for the club and was open to the idea, according to the sources.

This upcoming match will be Barcelona’s second visit to the 90,000-capacity Cotton Bowl stadium, following their friendly against Juventus in the summer of 2022.

Barcelona has announced that the proceeds from the game will be used to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco last month, claiming the lives of at least 48 people.

It’s worth noting that Club América, boasting former Barça midfielder Jonathan dos Santos, has the most Liga MX titles of any club and has already secured the top spot in the 2023 Apertura standings, ahead of the playoffs set to begin later this month.

Information from ESPN’s Jordi Blanco contributed to this report.