Does Andres Iniesta still play for Vissel Kobe? All you need to know ahead of Barcelona's pre-season clash

Iniesta earned legendary status in Spain for his time with Barca.

As scheduled, Barcelona will play their first friendly of the preseason tour today against Vissel Kobe, their first opponent of the summer, despite earlier reports of the game being cancelled. Is Andres Iniesta lining up as an opponent?

Just before Barca were scheduled to take a flight to Japan, the match-which the club had confirmed in June, was called into question after some dispute took place regarding the non-payment of dues.

Due to a dispute with the promoters, the LaLiga champions announced on Wednesday that Sunday’s match would not proceed. However, the problems, which were reportedly financial in nature, were settled by Thursday, and the team left on Friday.

The match today is the third time the Spanish team and the Japanese side will square off in friendlies since 2019, demonstrating their close relationship. Andrés Iniesta played for Kobe for five years after leaving Barça in 2018.

Iniesta, who spent the majority of his career playing for Barca, left the club and joined the Japanese team, where he continued playing for a few more years.

In 2018, Iniesta joined the team of the J1 League after 22 years at Barca. He joined Emirates, a UAE Pro League team, after departing the Japanese side in 2023. However, he spent only a year at Emirates and retired in October 2024.

With 24 games played, the J1 League team is halfway through the 2025 season and leads the table, but now they will once again get ready to host Barca in a friendly game today. Everything you need to know about Barca’s pre-season opener is provided below.

What time is the match?

• 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/ 3:30 p.m. IST

Vissel Kobe vs. Barcelona Head-to-Head Record (All Games)

• Vissel Kobe: 0 wins
• Barca: 2 wins
• Draws: 0
• Last Meeting: Vissel Kobe 0–2 Barcelona (Jun. 6, 2023) – Friendly

How to watch the match on TV

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