Barcelona and Boca Juniors will play a friendly match in Saudi Arabia on December 14 to honour the late Diego Maradona, the Catalan club announced on Monday.
Maradona, who died in November last year after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 60, was one of the greatest footballers in history and spent successful spells at both Barca and Boca. He initially joined Boca in 1981, helping the club win the Argentine league title, before leaving for Barcelona for a then world record $5m deal in 1982. He later returned to Boca for a two-year stint in 1995 at the end of his career.
To commemorate the Argentine's lasting legacy at both clubs, Barca and Boca will meet at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, just over a year after his death.
Maradona spent two years at Barcelona, winning the Copa del Rey at the end of his first season, before moving to Italy with Napoli for another world record deal of $10.5m.
It was in Naples where Maradona stayed for the longest duration and where his achievements are best remembered, transforming the club into two-time Italian champions during his seven-year stint. Napoli have since renamed the stadium the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Maradona also famously led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup.
The match in Riyadh will be the second time Barcelona have played in Saudi Arabia having participated in the Spanish Super Cup in 2020. The Catalans will return to the kingdom less than a month after the Boca friendly to contest the 2022 Spanish Super Cup.
