Barcelona’s opening friendly of their preseason tour will go ahead as planned, with Vissel Kobe their first opponents of the summer on Sunday.
The fixture, which the club confirmed in June, had been thrust into doubt just before Barcelona were due to fly to Japan. The La Liga champions said on Wednesday that Sunday’s clash would not go ahead due to a row with promoters, but the issues, believed to be financial, were resolved by Thursday, and the club flew out on Friday.
Hansi Flick’s side head into the summer as La Liga champions, having enjoyed a mightily successful season during the German’s first at the helm. Flick’s Blaugrana will ease back into the swing of things out in the Far East, with two more friendlies taking place in South Korea.
The club have strong ties to Vissel Kobe, with Sunday’s bout the third time they’ve faced off in friendlies since 2019. After leaving Barça in 2018, Andrés Iniesta spent five of his final years as a player in Kobe.
The J1 League outfit are midway through the 2025 season and currently sit at the top of the table through 24 games.
Here's everything you need to know about Barcelona’s first friendly of the summer.
What Time Does Vissel Kobe vs. Barcelona Kick-Off?
- Location: Kobe, Japan
- Stadium: NOEVIR Stadium Kobe
- Date: Sunday, July 27
- Kick-off Time: 11 a.m. BST / 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. BST
Vissel Kobe vs. Barcelona Head-to-Head Record (All Games)
- Vissel Kobe: 0 wins
- Barcelona: 2 wins
- Draws: 0
- Last Meeting: Vissel Kobe 0–2 Barcelona (Jun. 6, 2023) - Friendly
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Vissel Kobe vs. Barcelona on TV
Vissel Kobe Team News
There are no Iniesta-like figures in this Vissel Kobe squad, with the majority Japanese.
Taisei Miyashiro is the club’s leading scorer this season, striking nine times in the league, while Brazilian Erik has also had a fine campaign up to this point. While Miyashiro is likely to play off the shoulder of striker Daiju Sasaki, who operates more as a facilitator than a goalscorer, Erik should occupy the right flank.
While the hosts are in the midst of a title race, the visit of Barcelona should see them adopt close to a full strength starting XI.
Vissel Kobe Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona
Vissel Kobe Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Maekawa; Sakai, Yamakawa, Thuler, Nagato; Ideguchi, Ogihara; Erik, Miyashiro, Hirose, Sasaki
Barcelona Team News
✔️ The squad is set.
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 25, 2025
🌍 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑. pic.twitter.com/wItYhaao2f
Flick has opted for a 30-man travelling squad to the Far East, and the latest addition, Marcus Rashford, has been included. While doubts remain as to how Barcelona will be able to register the loanee for the 2025–26 La Liga season, the Englishman will have a chance to shine this summer, starting on Sunday.
Fellow new additions Roony Bardghji and goalkeeper Joan García have also flown out to Japan. Marc-André ter Stegen has been left out due to injury, while Oriol Romeu is working towards a move to follow Pau Víctor out the exit door.
As you’d expect, there’s an abundance of La Masia starlets that are set to be involved on tour. Jofre Torrents, Guille Fernández, Pedro Fernández and Toni Fernández are worth keeping an eye on, as is Marc Bernal, who has recovered from a long-term knee injury.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Vissel Kobe
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Vissel Kobe (4-2-3-1): Garciá; Kounde, Cubarsí, Martínez, Torrents; Gavi, Casadó; Yamal, Fermín, Raphinha; Ferran
Vissel Kobe vs. Barcelona Score Prediction
Barcelona were simply sublime last season, and it seems as if Flick’s squad has only got stronger at the start of the summer with the additions of García and Rashford. However, we can’t expect the Spanish champions to be at their scintillating best in their first preseason outing of the summer.
This is a fitness-builder for the touring team, with Flick set to offer opportunities to youngsters and rotate his XI heavily throughout the match. Vissel, on the contrary, are in midseason form, and they’re having an excellent 2025.
Their superior ftiness and freshness could play a role here, but Barcelona’s overwhelming quality should ensure they begin their summer on a winning note.
Prediction: Vissel Kobe 1–2 Barcelona
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Vissel Kobe vs. Barcelona: Friendly Preview, Predictions, Lineups.