FC Barcelona against Mexican teams
Before taking their Christmas break, FC Barcelona are flying to Dallas for a December 21 friendly against Mexican side Club América, winners of the regular season of the current Liga MX closing tournament, and hence top seeds going into the playoffs, where they'll be hoping to win their first league title since 2018.
It's by no means the first ever meeting between two of the popular clubs in their respective countries. Over the years Barça and the 'Eagles' have faced each other six times:
Previous meetings with Club América
1937 (Friendly in Mexico City) America 2-0 Barça
1937 (Friendly in Mexico City) America 2-3 Barça
2003 (Friendly in Mexico City) America 2--0 Barça
2006 (Friendly in Houston, USA) America 4-4 Barça
2006 (Club World Cup in Yokohama, Japan) America 0-4 Barça
2011 (World Football Challenge in Arlington, USA) America 0-2 Barça
The first two games were part of Barça's historic ten-match tour of North America that raised important funds in times of severe crisis and civil war in Spain. They ended in one win for each side.
More than sixty years would pass before they met again as part of Barça's preseason tours of 2003 and 2006, first in the Mexican capital and then in Texas. As fate would have it, the teams would meet again just a few months later but in far more serious circumstances. It was in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup in Japan, in which Barça were the comfortable 4-0 winners (with goals from Guðjohnsen, Márquez, Ronaldinho and Deco), but would go on to lose the final to Internacional of Brazil.
The most recent meeting was in 2011, like this year in Dallas but at the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Barça won that game 2-0, with goals from David Villa and Seydou Keita.
32 games with Mexicans
The game on December 21 will be the 33rd between Barça and Mexican opponents. The Mexican side Barça has played the most frequently has been Chivas Guadalajara (7 times) and the most recent example was the Gamper Trophy of 2022 when the Catalans beat UNAM Pumas 6-0 at Spotify Camp Nou.
Other current professional sides that Barça have played in the past are Atlante, Necaxa, Monterrey, Cruz Azul, Puebla, Tigres UANL and Leon.
There are also a number of historical curiosities. Barça have also played Real Club España, Asturias and Cidosa, none of which exist any more, while CD Oro of Guadalajara also disappeared but have since been re-established in the regional leagues.
Barça have also played twice against the Mexico national team and once against an XI formed by players from the state of Jalisco.