After Brazil and Uruguay, Kolkata will be hosting an exhibition match between the legends of Spanish football teams Barcelona and Real Madrid on November 25. The match will be held at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan, popularly known as the Salt Lake Stadium, as per West Bengal sports minister Indranil Khan.
The players who will be taking part in the match haven’t yet been disclosed.
“El Clásico Loading.. #Barcelona Legends vs #RealMadrid Legends.. November 25, 2026. Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan, #Kolkata,” Khan posted on his X handle on Tuesday. The proposed legends’ clash is expected to bring together former players associated with the two Spanish clubs, whose rivalry is among the most celebrated in world football.
The announcement comes after the iconic venue hosted two high-profile international friendlies featuring the Indian men’s football team earlier this month. India took on five-time world champions Brazil on October 3 before facing two-time world champions Uruguay on October 6, with both matches drawing attention to the city’s footballing heritage.
India’s tryst with El Clasico
Last year, Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium had played host to a ‘Legends Faceoff’ match between FC Barcelona Legends and Real Madrid Legends. Barcelona was led by Carlos Puyol while Luís Figo will captain Real Madrid. Both teams will be full of stars like Fernando Morientes, Pepe, Michael Owen, Javier Saviola, Xavi and Rivaldo. In the match, the Los Blancos legends came out on top vs Barcelona.
In 2017 also there was a proposal for an El Clasico clash played between Real Madrid and Barcelona in Mumbai, which was set to feature the legends of yesteryears. But the match had to be postponed as some of the players were unavailable. India forward Dipendu Biswas was chosen as the brand ambassador after an agreement, which was signed at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Real Madrid’s home ground. Ultimately, the match did not take place that year.
According to PTI, there were reports which said that legends such as Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Nicolas Anelka, Luis Figo, Carles Puyol, Simao, Fernando Morientes and Michel Salgado were to feature in the exhibition match. The match which was supposed to be held in Kolkata but due to logistical problems, the venue was shifted to Mumbai.