Barcelona will play a preseason game in Japan after contractual dispute with promoter is resolved

Spain Soccer Yamal FC Barcelona player Lamine Yamal poses with his new jersey after signing a contract extension with the soccer club in Barcelona, northern Spain, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort) (Joan Monfort/AP)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona will play a preseason game in Japan that it had previously said was canceled after resolving a contractual dispute with the promoter, the Spanish champion said Friday.

Barcelona said that its team was traveling to Japan where it will play a friendly against Vissel Kobe on Sunday.

The club said that it and the promoter have “resolved all the issues that two days prior obliged Barcelona to cancel its participation” in the game. Barcelona has not named the promoter or given more detail about the dispute.

After Japan, Barcelona also plans to visit South Korea to play FC Seoul on July 31 and Daegu FC on Aug. 4.

Like other big clubs, Barcelona — which has struggled with large debts in recent years — uses the summer to play exhibition games abroad as a way to earn extra cash.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

About The Author