Kazeem Olaigbe scores late winner for Basel against Barcelona in preseason friendly

Kazeem Olaigbe picked the right moment to announce himself. The 23-year-old forward struck in the 84th minute to hand FC Basel a victory over FC Barcelona in a preseason friendly at St. Jakob-Park on August 16, 2026. Beating Barcelona, even in a glorified scrimmage, is the kind of thing that gets a loan player noticed. Olaigbe, who arrived at Basel on loan from Trabzonspor in early July, has been doing exactly that since touching down in Switzerland. A late goal with big implications for Olaigbe’s future Barcelona used the fixture primarily for squad rotation and fitness building ahead of the upcoming La Liga campaign. Olaigbe has been a bright spot in what has been a productive preseason for Basel overall. The Swiss club previously recorded a dominant 6-1 victory in the Swiss Cup, suggesting that the squad is finding its rhythm well ahead of the domestic season. From Trabzonspor to Basel: a calculated gamble Olaigbe’s path to Basel tells a familiar story in European football’s loan economy. The Belgian-Nigerian forward, eligible to represent both Belgium and Nigeria at international level, moved to Trabzonspor before securing a temporary switch to the Swiss Super League. What this...