The option for FC Barcelona to undertake their 2025-26 preseason tour in Asian territory seems increasingly likely. This decision is based on the fact that the Catalan team, considering the dates on which the preseason will take place, will coincide with the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 in the United States, where several renowned clubs and fixtures will be present. Faced with the abundance of football in North America, the Barcelona team has decided to return to the Asian market, which has not been the center of their preseason since the 2019-20 season.
Recently, the sports newspaper 'SPORT' has reported that apparently Barcelona has reached an agreement with a Korean promotional company to carry out the 2025-26 preseason tour in Asia. This agreement would include the organization of four friendly matches yet to be determined. All of this within the framework of an event called 'The Tournament'.
It is also speculated that there will be two friendly matches in Japan and two in South Korea. Although the opponents for these friendlies have not been confirmed, there are rumors that one of the opponents could be a selection of stars from the South Korean league, while a renowned European opponent could be Liverpool, given that they are not participating in the Club World Cup, making them available for a high-level match in Asia.
Barcelona is also set to have a friendly match in Asia at the end of the 2024-25 season
On another note, as mentioned in the previous source, in the alleged agreement with the Korean company, there is a plan for a visit to Asian territory before May 30 to play a friendly match, following the precedent set by Barcelona in 2023 when they traveled to Tokyo to face Vissel Kobe in a match honoring Andrés Iniesta, shortly after the 2022-23 LaLiga season.
The opponent and date for this friendly match are yet to be finalized, and this could depend on Barcelona's performance in the UEFA Champions League. It is worth noting that the final of the European competition is scheduled for May 31 in Munich, so if the Catalan team reaches this stage, the possibility of playing a friendly match in Asia would be quite challenging.