Ajax and Barcelona honour Cruyff with charity match
Legends from both clubs will play at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on 15 November for the Johan Cruyff Foundation.
Ajax Legends and Barça Legends will play a charity match at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Sunday 15 November. The match is intended as a tribute to Johan Cruyff, who played for both clubs and had a major influence as a manager.
Ajax announced on Friday that the match will be played on 15 November 2026. The date refers to 15 November 1964, when Cruyff made his debut for Ajax. The former player and manager died on 24 March 2016; this year marks ten years since then.
Patrick Kluivert, Frank de Boer, Ronald de Boer, Jari Litmanen and Richard Witschge are among those to have confirmed their participation. They played for Ajax and Barcelona. Ajax also names Wesley Sneijder, Edwin van der Sar, Siem de Jong and Jan Vertonghen as participants.
The final squads are not yet complete. The clubs plan to announce more players in the coming weeks. Barcelona describes the match as the first fixture of the season for its Legends team. Kick-off is scheduled for 2.30pm.
According to Ajax, the proceeds will go to the Johan Cruyff Foundation. Cruyff founded the charity in 1997, and it organises sports projects and Cruyff Courts for children, among other activities. Barcelona also says it supports its own foundation; the precise distribution of the proceeds was not set out in the announcement.
The link between the clubs dates back to Cruyff’s playing career. He played for Ajax and Barcelona and later managed both clubs. In Amsterdam, the stadium bears his name; Barcelona has a training complex containing the Estadi Johan Cruyff.
The match is not an official fixture in an existing competition. It is an event involving former players and a charitable cause. Its significance therefore lies primarily in preserving Cruyff’s sporting and social legacy, rather than in a league table.
Ajax is selling tickets through its own sales arrangement. The organisation says Ziggo Sport will broadcast the match live. The match itself has yet to be played, so statements about the proceeds or attendance are not yet possible.
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The match and the announced participants were checked with Ajax and FC Barcelona. The text makes clear that this is a charity event, not an official competitive fixture.
- confirmed Ajax Legends and Barça Legends will play at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on 15 November 2026. — Both clubs confirm the date and location. source
- confirmed The proceeds will go to the Johan Cruyff Foundation. — Ajax names this as the purpose of the Legacy Match. source
- confirmed Patrick Kluivert, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Jari Litmanen and Richard Witschge have confirmed their participation. — These names appear in the Ajax announcement. source
- confirmed The match will begin at 2.30pm and will be broadcast live on Ziggo Sport. — Ajax publishes the time and broadcast information. source
Editor's note
The date, charitable purpose, announced players and broadcast information have been published by Ajax and Barcelona. The final squads and proceeds are not yet known.Sources
- Ajax en FC Barcelona eren Johan Cruijff met Legacy Match — AFC Ajax
- Barça Legends to play Ajax Legends at Johan Cruyff Arena — FC Barcelona
- Informatie kaartverkoop legacy match — AFC Ajax
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