Real Betis and AD Ceuta postpone Seville friendly to relocate match to autonomous city

Postponement of the Cartuja match

Real Betis Balompié and AD Ceuta FC announced on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, that their scheduled friendly match in Seville will not take place as planned. The sporting encounter had been fixed for Thursday, 1 October 2026, with kickoff slated for 20:00 at the Estadio La Cartuja. The postponement was formally communicated across official club websites and digital channels on Wednesday afternoon, roughly 24 hours before the match was set to begin. Both sporting institutions published a joint statement outlining their shared agreement to withdraw the fixture from the Seville venue. Real Betis confirmed that the club will initiate reimbursement procedures in the coming days, returning the full purchase price to all supporters who had already acquired match tickets.

Relocation plans to the autonomous city

The two football clubs decided to postpone the fixture to explore the possibility of playing the match directly within the autonomous city of Ceuta. Moving the event across the Strait of Gibraltar is intended to bring the sporting initiative closer to the local Ceuta population and strengthen its charitable effect. Subject to fixture congestion and competitive calendars across both divisions, club directors are reviewing the option of holding the rescheduled match at the Estadio Alfonso Murube. The clubs emphasized their ongoing determination to stage an encounter that unites the caballa supporters of Ceuta and the bética fanbase of Seville in an environment of shared community.

Both clubs have taken this decision with the objective of reinforcing the social and solidarity character with which this initiative was born.

Solidarity amid regional migration pressures

The sporting fixture was originally arranged as a tribute and institutional gesture of solidarity toward the autonomous city of Ceuta and its residents. The enclave has experienced significant humanitarian challenges linked to an intense migration situation that began during the final days of July 2026. Club organizers determined that holding the match in Seville did not offer the direct community engagement that the local population deserved under these ongoing circumstances. Postponing the event allows both boards to reshape the initiative into an on-site sporting event staged within Ceuta itself.

They will study holding the match on a new date and under conditions that allow it to be brought more directly to the people of Ceuta and enhance its charitable character.

Charitable proceeds and ticketing process

Despite the cancellation of the game at La Cartuja, the financial mechanisms designed to assist local social services remain fully active. All money collected through the fila cero virtual ticket initiative will be transferred directly to Cáritas Ceuta in accordance with the project's original terms, ensuring that charitable assistance continues without disruption. While charitable donations continue through this designated account, Real Betis will handle the administrative reimbursement of all general admission tickets bought for the Seville stadium. Both sporting entities concluded their announcement by offering apologies for the short-notice disruption and thanking football fans in both cities for their patience and solidarity.

Both entities regret the inconvenience caused, thank the fans for their understanding and reiterate their desire to carry out a match that becomes a true day of coexistence, sport and solidarity between the caballa and bética fanbases.