Messi in Japan: Argentine Star’s Past Games in Land of the Rising Sun Ahead of Inter Miami Tour

• Inter Miami will face Vissel Kobe in Japan next February as part of their preseason tour
• Lionel Messi played in Japan before with Argentina, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain
• Messi and Ronaldo will face each other in the 2024 Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia

Lionel Messi is heading to Japan.

Inter Miami confirmed on Friday that they will travel to the Land of the Rising Sun to face Vissel Kobe this coming February.

Sports Brief looks at Messi’s previous games in Japan as he embarks on another Asian tour.

Argentina vs. Japan (2010)

Messi first played a football match in Japan back in 2010 when Argentina faced Samurai Blue in a friendly.

Japanese Football Association president Junji Ogura told the Japanese media during that time that he would pay an extra US$200,000 if the Argentina team featured Messi as well.

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Ogura’s huge investment paid dividends as Messi joined the Argentina squad for the trip to Japan.

Messi was part of a star-studded starting lineup that included Diego Milito, Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano, Esteban Cambiasso, Gabriel Milito, Gabriel Heinze, Martin Demichelis, Nicolas Burdisso, Andres D’Alessandro, and Sergio Romero.

Argentina’s bench was also filled with talent. Among the reserves for La Albiceleste were Angel di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, and Ezequiel Lavezzi.

That didn’t faze the hosts, though, who emerged as 1-0 victors in this friendly. Shinji Okazaki scored the winning goal for Japan in the 19th minute.

Messi played the entire game in Saitama, delighting the 57,735 fans in attendance at NACK5 Stadium Omiya.

2015 FIFA Club World Cup

Barcelona qualified for the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup after winning the UEFA Champions League that year. The Spanish giants beat Juventus 3-1 in the final.

Messi and Barcelona made history in Japan, becoming the first team to win a record third Club World Cup title.

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They beat Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0 in the semis in Yokohama and defeated River Plate 3-0 in the final to win the championship, per The Guardian.

Luis Suarez won the Adidas Golden Ball after scoring five goals in the tournament. Messi picked up the Adidas Silver Ball.

PSG’s Japan Tour (2022)

Messi returned to Japan in 2022 to take part in Paris Saint-Germain’s preseason tour. It was the first time that the French giants travelled to Japan in the QSI era.

They first faced Kawasaki Frontale in the National Stadium on July 20, 2022. PSG recorded a 2-1 win over the Japanese side, with Messi among the goalscorers for the French outfit.

They then locked horns with the Urawa Red Diamonds at the Saitama Stadium on July 23. Messi came off the bench in PSG’s 3-0 victory.

They concluded their tour with a showdown with Gamba Osaka at Panasonic Stadium Suita on July 25.

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PSG recorded a comprehensive 6-2 victory, with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Messi, Paolo Sarabia, and Nuno Mendes the goalscorers for the French side.

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Messi vs. Ronaldo in Saudi

Sports Brief recently reported on the upcoming Messi vs. Ronaldo showdown.

The two football icons will renew their rivalry this coming February in the Riyadh Season Cup.

Inter Miami will face Al-Hilal and Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.