Ajax and Burnley will meet for the first time when they face each other in a pre-season friendly on Sunday, July 26, at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam.
The match is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CEST, which is 1:00 p.m. UTC, and it comes as part of both clubs’ build-up to the 2026/27 season. For Ajax, it is another chance to keep momentum after a strong opening to the summer. For Burnley, it is one more stop on a North American tour that has already included games against FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew.
Ajax look to extend a solid summer
Míchel has reasons to feel encouraged by the way Ajax have started their summer schedule. They beat FK Vojvodina 4-1 in UEFA Conference League qualifying, then followed that with a 1-0 friendly win over Olympiacos and a 1-1 draw with VfL Bochum. That run has given Ajax three home friendlies with two wins and one draw, along with one goal conceded in 270 minutes.
Those are useful early signs, even if pre-season results only tell part of the story. Ajax will still want more sharpness, but the performances suggest the team is settling into rhythm before competitive football ramps up again.
The meeting with Burnley also offers a timely test for new signing Marcos Leonardo, who gives Ajax another player to integrate during the run-up to the new campaign.
Burnley continue their tour before one final fixture
Burnley arrive in Amsterdam after their North American tour, which has already provided a different kind of pre-season challenge. After the Ajax match, Burnley are expected to face RCD Espanyol in their final pre-season fixture.
That makes the trip to the Netherlands an important part of their summer work. Pre-season trips are often about conditioning, squad cohesion and game rhythm as much as results, and this one gives Burnley another chance to measure themselves against a well-established European side.
For supporters in the Netherlands and fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the game is also a notable one simply because it is the first time Ajax and Burnley have been matched together. Viewers in the United States and Canada, as well as audiences in Australia and New Zealand, can follow coverage through Sport Live Tracker, Burnley FC+, Vavel USA, Australia and Heavy.com.
It is still early in the summer, but Ajax vs Burnley already has a clear appeal: a first-ever meeting, a familiar preseason setting, and two clubs trying to build toward the same goal at different points in their preparation.
