Barcelona Confirms Vissel Kobe Friendly Will Go Ahead After Resolving Contract Dispute

Barcelona have confirmed that their pre-season friendly against Japanese side Vissel Kobe will go ahead as scheduled on Sunday in Tokyo, following the resolution of a contractual dispute with the event’s promoter.

Barcelona had initially cancelled the match on Thursday, citing “serious contractual breaches” by the promoter. However, in an update on Friday, July 25, the club stated that the issues had been resolved and the team had departed for Japan.

“FC Barcelona have resolved the issues that led to the cancellation of the friendly against Vissel Kobe. The match will take place as scheduled in Tokyo,” the club said in a statement.

Although Barcelona did not name the promoter in its latest update, it had previously identified the Yasuda Group when announcing the Asia tour.

Barcelona’s tour will also include fixtures against South Korean clubs FC Seoul on July 31 and Daegu FC on August 4.

England forward Marcus Rashford has been included in the 30-man squad for the Asian tour.

The 27-year-old joined Barcelona on a one-year loan deal from Manchester United on Wednesday. The agreement includes a £30.3 million option to make the transfer permanent in 2026.

Rashford is the first male England international to sign for Barcelona since Gary Lineker in 1986.