All set in Curitiba

The Barça Legends are set to face the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends on Sunday in Curitiba, Brazil, kick off 7.30pm local time, 11.30pm CET, in the first game of the season for the team coached by Albert Ferrer. 

After a long trip to South American, the squad paid a visit to the Hospital Pequeno Príncipe de Curitiba, the most important children's hospital in Brazil, meeting the children admitted and the professional staff at the centre who gave the players a guided tour, explaining the work they carry out on a daily basis. 

The Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe is an organisation created to help reduce infant and juvenile mortality through investigation into complex diseases that affect people in the area. The aim is to discover new, more effective and cheaper methods of diagnosis and treatment for the illnesses in question. The organisation has a space reserved for the long term patients at the hospital which allows them to keep up with their studies whilst they undergo treatment, helping them to focus on other things besides their health. There is also a space for games and leisure where staff can read to the children, put on magic shows or plastic art workshops. 

Money raised for research 

It is important to remember that the Barça Legends, via the Barça Foundation's mission is to improve the lives of young people who find themselves in vulnerable situations,  will donate their share of the money raised to the Instituto to contribute the reduction of infant and juvenile mortality in Brazil. 

Training ahead of the game 

On the pitch the team trained for more than an hour at the training complex of Brazilian local club in Curitiba Clube Athletico Paranaense in order prepare for Sunday's game against a legends team that will feature names such as Cafú, Tinga, Alex Meschini, Fernando Prass, Ricardinho and Diego Lugano, amongst others.