FC Barcelona cancels youth training camp in occupied northern Cyprus

FC Barcelona has cancelled a planned youth football camp scheduled to take place next month in the occupied northern part of Cyprus. The decision follows a series of intense diplomatic interventions led by the Republic of Cyprus, including a formal protest from the Cyprus Football Association (CFA) to its Spanish counterpart and UEFA. Additionally, various Cypriot clubs, such as Nea Salamina, and political representatives engaged in direct communication with the Spanish club to express opposition to the event and the unauthorized use of the term "Northern Cyprus" on the academy’s website.

The cancellation was confirmed on August 27, 2026, after the event was removed from the official FC Barcelona Academy website. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis described the outcome as a result of the state's institutional actions to clarify the legal status of the region. While the Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman criticized the cancellation as an act of "exclusion" for youth, the Cypriot government maintained that its efforts were necessary to uphold international law and institutional standards. No information regarding a potential relocation of the camp was provided.