According to reports, the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo has initiated talks with Barcelona as part of its strategy to establish itself as a host for major international events.

Sao Paulo aims to take another step in its ambitious plan to become a hub for high-profile sporting events: according to ESPN Brazil, the city’s tourism and events department intends to host Barcelona for one or two pre-season matches between 2026 and 2028.

This project, still in its early stages, involves legal, financial, and operational studies before a formal proposal is presented to the Catalan club. Barcelona has been officially informed of this interest through Gustavo Pires, head of Sao Paulo’s tourism and events department, who attended El Clasico last Sunday.

Pires told ESPN: “What we have now is Sao Paulo’s clear intention to start negotiations to host Barcelona’s pre-season matches between 2026 and 2028. We want to engage with the private sector to explore partnerships that would make the club’s presence possible and bring a major new spectacle to the city.”

As part of these efforts, Pires was present at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic on Sunday. Before traveling to Barcelona, he stated: “Witnessing firsthand how an event of this magnitude is organized can help us realize the dream of seeing a European team holding its pre-season in Sao Paulo in the coming years.”

The venue and opponents for Barcelona’s matches have not yet been determined. However, this initiative reflects Brazil’s growing interest in hosting international sporting events.