Spain will face Egypt in a friendly on 31 March in Barcelona, the Royal Spanish Football Federation confirmed on Friday.
The match, which had briefly collapsed over logistics and visa complications, is now back on the table. The Egyptian Football Association had earlier said it would press ahead with its pre-World Cup plan despite regional complications. Following its relocation from Qatar, Egypt will first play Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on 27 March before traveling to Spain four days later.
Initially, the Spain game had been cancelled for organisational reasons, while Qatar’s wider football festival also unraveled after the cancellation of the Finalissima between Spain and Argentina.
Spain announced the venue on Friday morning and stated that both March friendlies, against Serbia and Egypt, are part of their final international window before the FIFA World Cup. Notably, Spain has faced Egypt only once before, in 2006, when La Roja won 2-0 in Elche.
Luis de la Fuente has named a 27-man squad for the two friendlies. The list includes four first-time senior call-ups, such as Joan Garcia, Cristhian Mosquera, Ander Barrenetxea, and Víctor Muñoz.
For Egypt, the EFA said the federation moved to overcome “all logistical challenges” to preserve a preparation program built around strong opposition before the World Cup. After a week of cancellations, rerouting, and uncertainty, the March window now ends with a serious test against the European champions, in Spain, ten weeks before the tournament opens.