For most players not on duty with their country, an international break is a chance to recharge during two weeks without any domestic football.

But that will not be the case for Atletico Madrid and Inter — who are travelling to Libya in north Africa to play in the friendly Reconstruction Cup-FDRL trophy tonight (Friday). La Liga champions Barcelona had the chance to take part but turned it down.

Antoine Griezmann, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Koke and goalkeeper Yann Sommer are among the stars set to feature in the match, which is being hosted at the recently remodelled 42,000-capacity Benghazi International Stadium.

The two teams’ most recent competitive meeting was in the 2023-24 Champions League round of 16, when Atletico progressed following a penalty shootout. They are due to meet in the league phase of the competition this season, at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on November 26.

But before then, they will face each other in Benghazi, a city in a country divided in two and which international governments, including those of the United States and Spain, advise their citizens against visiting for safety reasons.

So, how has it come about, what links to football does Libya have and why did Barca say no?

Why are these teams playing in Libya?

La Liga’s Atletico and Serie A side Inter are both currently in a window of around two weeks without any official fixture, as club football takes one of several scheduled breaks during the season for players to go away with their national teams.

Many clubs in different domestic leagues organise friendlies or exhibition matches during this period, which can be useful for training or financial reasons.

The Athletic reported recently that Manchester United were exploring the possibility of playing a mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia, given their lack of midweek European football this campaign. German Bundesliga side Schalke will play a friendly in Dublin against Irish team Bohemian FC this weekend.

The Benghazi International Stadium (Abdullah Doma/AFP via Getty Images)

In recent years, Atletico have played mid-season exhibition games, for various commercial reasons, in countries including Singapore, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

In this particular case, they and Inter were invited by the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund (FDRL) to play there. The FDRL’s director general is Belgasem Haftar, a son of Khalifa Haftar, the military strongman who rules the eastern part of the north African country.

Atletico sources would not confirm to The Athletic how much they are receiving to take part in the game, but Spanish newspaper Marca put the figure at €3million ($3.5m; £2.6m). It is unclear how much Inter will receive for their participation.

The FDRL did not respond to a request for comment.

So Barcelona might have taken part instead of Atletico?

Barcelona club sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to speak freely — told The Athletic the Catalans were due to play the Reconstruction Cup-FDRL game this week and had already received around €5m to feature. Those same sources added that the club eventually decided not to travel for security reasons and have returned the money to the event’s organiser.

Another possible complicating factor is that some youth teamers would be needed to fill out the travelling squad, given Barcelona have 10 senior players away on international duty. Barca Atletic, the club’s reserve team full of academy players who could have been used for that purpose, are hosting Reus FC Reddis in the Spanish fourth division less than 24 hours after the game in Libya.

What links to football does Libya have?

Football is the most popular sport among Libya’s population of around seven and a half million.

Its national team have never qualified for the World Cup, however, and their best performance at an Africa Cup of Nations was when they reached the final when hosting the tournament in 1982, losing to Ghana on penalties.

There are longstanding links between football and politics in the country.

The Supercoppa Italiana in August 2002 was held in Tripoli, its capital. Libya’s state oil company Tamoil was the main shirt-front sponsor for Juventus from that 2002-03 season to the end of 2006-07.

In 2002, during then dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s rule, LAFICO, the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company, bought shares in Juventus — historically Italy’s most successful club. Gaddafi’s son Saadi was hired as a player by their fellow Italian teams Perugia, Udinese and Sampdoria in that decade (playing two games for Perugia, one for Udinese and none for Sampdoria).

Gaddafi’s son Saadi is presented as a Perugia player in 2003 (Eric Vandeville/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Since Gaddafi was removed from power and killed by rebel forces in 2011, Libya has found itself in turmoil — and its domestic football has mirrored its politics. One competition is played in the east of the country, a region controlled by Khalifa Haftar’s military regime, and another in the west, where a separate transitional government recognised by the international community is in charge.

The national champions are decided by a finals competition, which has been played in Italy for the past two years as it is deemed unsafe to hold the games anywhere in Libya. Benghazi’s Al Nasr, owned by Saddam Haftar, another of Khalifa’s sons, lifted the trophy in Rome at the end of the 2023-24 season. Al Ahly of Tripoli are the current champions.

The FDRL’s Facebook page showcases various reconstruction projects it is funding, including roads, bridges, schools and hospitals, along with various football facilities. Representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Egypt, Turkey and Greece have met with FDRL figures including Belgasem Haftar and his brother Saddam.

Among the FDRL’s signature projects is the extensive remodelling of the Benghazi International Stadium. This project was stalled for many years during the country’s conflict, but was completed early this year by Limak, the Turkish firm also currently rebuilding Barcelona’s Camp Nou. In June, Italian delegations visited the stadium during a Libyan-Italian forum for development and reconstruction.

Is it safe?

After years of civil war following the overthrow of Gaddafi, a United Nations-recognised Government of National Unity sits in Tripoli, which is in western Libya, while a rival administration in Benghazi, led by Khalifa Haftar, controls the east, which is where much of the country’s oil wealth is located.

Libyans have suffered a major humanitarian crisis in recent years, with thousands killed and many more displaced. The conflict has severely hurt the national economy, which is heavily reliant on oil exports. Migrants and refugees passing through the country when trying to reach Europe have also faced dire conditions.

The U.S. State Department warns against travelling to Libya “due to crime, terrorism, unexploded land mines, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed conflict.” The Spanish government cites the risk of “armed conflict, terrorism and criminality” while advising citizens not to visit Benghazi.

In Italy, government advice is that “travel to the country is not recommended unless necessary for work or business reasons… Italian companies or freelancers operating in the country are reminded to take all active and passive security measures deemed appropriate to protect their personnel”.

Both clubs are expected to minimise their time on the ground in Libya, and will only visit the airport, their hotel and the stadium.

Atletico told The Athletic they were not worried about security during their visit — pointing to an exhibition game which was played last February at the stadium in Benghazi, with stars of the past including Samuel Eto’o, John Terry, Michael Owen, William Gallas and Dimitar Berbatov taking part without any problems.

Additional reporting: Laia Cervello Herrero and James Horncastle