Udinese won the inaugural Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup after defeating Nottingham Forest and Barcelona by the same 1–0 scoreline at the Bluenergy Stadium on 8 August 2026.
Barcelona finished second after beating Forest in their opening 45-minute match but conceding a late goal against the tournament hosts. The compact format gave all three clubs two short matches instead of a conventional 90-minute friendly.
The tournament formed part of a busy European pre-season schedule that also included Manchester United’s 1–1 draw with PSG in Gothenburg.
Raphinha decides the match against Forest
Udinese opened the tournament by beating Nottingham Forest 1–0, placing the hosts in a strong position before Barcelona entered the competition.
Barcelona then faced Forest in another tightly contested 45-minute match. Forest created several opportunities and forced Wojciech Szczęsny into important saves, while Morgan Gibbs-White struck the woodwork.
Barcelona also threatened through their younger players but had to wait until stoppage time for the breakthrough. Nikola Milenković was penalised for handball following Jordi Pesquer’s intervention, allowing Raphinha to score from the resulting penalty.
The final whistle followed almost immediately, leaving Barcelona and Udinese level on three points before their decisive meeting.
Bayo’s late goal gives Udinese the trophy
Hansi Flick continued rotating his squad against Udinese, giving minutes to established players, academy prospects and recent additions. Barcelona controlled substantial periods of possession and produced several early attempts, but the hosts remained organised.
The match appeared to be heading towards a penalty shootout until Udinese scored in the 44th minute. Vakoun Bayo collected Gueye’s pass and finished the move to give the Italian club a 1–0 victory.
There was little time for Barcelona to respond. Udinese therefore completed the tournament with six points, while Barcelona finished second with three and Nottingham Forest ended without a victory.
Useful minutes despite finishing second
Barcelona did not leave Italy with the trophy, but the tournament provided two different tests in a short period. Forest challenged the Spanish side physically and created chances in transition, while Udinese required patience against a structured defensive shape.
The unusual format also allowed Flick to distribute minutes without asking most players to complete a full match. Younger members of the squad gained senior exposure, and Belgian signing Jesse Bisiwu made his Barcelona debut against Udinese.
The two performances showed useful individual moments but also areas requiring work before competitive football, particularly chance creation against compact opposition and defensive concentration during the closing stages.
