Barça women to visit Mexico on preseason tour

The FC Barcelona women are heading back to North America this summer for a preseason tour from August 26 to September 2. But rather than the USA, this time they will be visiting Mexico.

The newly crowned UEFA Women's Champions League champions will be playing games against Club América Femenil, winners of the Liga MX Closing Championship 2023 on August 29, and the five-time previous winners of the Liga MX, Tigres Femenil, and current holders of the Champions of Champions cup on September 1.

The first of the games will be played at the Estadio Azteca, venue of two men's World Cup Finals and which holds 83,264 people, while the second will be at the 41,615 capacity Estadio Universitario.

Giráldez will be raring to go after almost a full month of training from August 1, the date that the players are due back for their medicals and first workout.

The games are being organised by Soccer Media Solutions, and while they are in the country, FC Barcelona will be conducting a series of institutional activities, including a gala dinner with local dignitaries, and a number of open doors training sessions where fans will be able to interact with players and get their autographs and pictures taken with the stars.

Key zone for women's football

Mexico has been pinpointed as a key strategic commercial target for FC Barcelona, and is also a country with a strong tradition of the women's game. There has been exponential growth in terms of attendances, with all 25,000 tickets sold out for the first leg of the recent final between Pachuca and América, and 58,000 people watching the return at the Estadio Azteca. And a massive 4.8 million people tuned in to watch the final on TV.

There are also playing ties between FC Barcelona and Mexico. Former blaugrana stars Jenni Hermoso, Andrea Pereira and Andrea Falcón all joined the Liga MX Femenil next season. One of the greatest female players of all time, Maribel Domínguez, moved in the other direction to Barça in 2005, while Kenti Robles in 2012/13 and Pamela Tajonar in 2018 are other Mexican players who have played for the Catalan club.