paris saint germain tour japan

• Subscribe Digital Print

• overtourism
• Shangri-La Dialogue
• Tokyo governor race
• Latest News
• Deep Dive Podcast

Today's print edition

Home Delivery

• Crime & Legal
• Science & Health
• More sports
• CLIMATE CHANGE
• SUSTAINABILITY
• EARTH SCIENCE
• Food & Drink
• Style & Design
• TV & Streaming
• Entertainment news

Paris Saint-Germain announces three-match tour of Japan

Paris St. Germain will play three preseason matches in Japan in July, becoming the first European club to visit the country since 2019.

PSG, which won its record 10th French League title last month, will be the first club from Europe to visit Japan since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japan has largely been closed to international teams and sporting events over the last 2½ years, but is showing increasing signs of opening up.

The 2020 Olympics were postponed by a year due to the pandemic but were held in 2021, while Fukuoka will host the swimming world championships in 2023, after originally being scheduled to host in 2022.

Japan also continued to hold matches in Asia's preliminary rounds for November's FIFA World Cup under tight restrictions as the Samurai Blue qualified for the finals in Qatar.

The national team will play friendlies against Paraguay and Brazil in June and will also feature in the Kirin Cup, in which Japan will be joined by Ghana, Chile and Tunisia in a four-team tournament.

The East Asian Championships will be held in Japan in July, with the nation stepping in to host the competition after China relinquished the rights to run the regional tournament due the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

PSG confirm pre-season tour of Japan

Paris saint-germain will play friendlies against kawasaki frontale, urawa red diamonds and gamba osaka in japan in july,.

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain will play three pre-season matches in Japan in July, becoming the first European club to visit the country since 2019 . The Qatar-owned outfit announced on Thursday that they will face J1 League sides Kawasaki Frontale , Urawa Red Diamonds and Gamba Osaka on July 20, 23 and 25 respectively.

PSG , who won a 10th French title last month, will be the first club from Europe to visit Japan since before the Covid-19 pandemic. The country has largely closed itself off over the last two-and-a-half years to visiting teams and sporting events but is showing increasing signs of opening up. The 2020 Olympics were among the events affected by the pandemic, with the Tokyo Games postponed by 12 months , while the southern city of Fukuoka deferred its hosting of the world swimming championships this year until 2023. However, Japan continued to hold matches in Asia’s preliminary rounds for November’s World Cup under tight restrictions as the Samurai Blue qualified for the finals in Qatar.

🔜✈️🇯🇵 Paris Saint-Germain announce summer tour of Japan The Paris Saint-Germain first team will be heading to Japan this summer to prepare for the 2022/23 season and meet with their fans in the country. #パリサンジェルマン来日 I PSGJapanTour2022 pic.twitter.com/EZ2Oa86qZf — Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) May 26, 2022

Japan gear up for 2022 World Cup

The national team will play friendlies against Paraguay and Brazil in June and will also feature in the Kirin Cup , which sees the Japanese side joined by Ghana , Chile and Tunisia in a four-team tournament. The East Asian Championships will be held in Japan in July too, with the nation stepping in to host the competition after China relinquished the rights to run the regional tournament due the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

PSG confirm pre-season Japan Tour for 2023

By antonio losada | jun 2, 2023.

As we already reported last March , PSG has made the official announcement of their plans to embark on a new tour of Japan as part of their summer preseason.

The Parisian club will organize three friendly matches in the Asian country, including a rematch against Cristiano Ronaldo -led Al-Nassr from Saudi Arabia . Both teams already played each other following the World Cup when PSG visited the Middle Eastern country last January.

This summer, PSG will return to Japan, replicating their initiative from the previous year. Last preseason, Paris Saint-Germain already toured the Asian nation when they trained and got ready for the now-ending 2022/23 campaign.

#PSGJapanTour2023 は7月22日から8月2日まで行われます🎌 PSGの試合日程は、7月25日に大阪にてアル・ナスル、28日にはセレッソ大阪、8月1日には東京にてインテル・ミラノと対戦する3試合を予定している！ #PSG来日2023 #PSGJapanTour2023 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/l2C0OaGVgT — PSG Japan (@PSGJapan) June 2, 2023

While the scheduling of the Trophée des Champions (PSG will face French Cup winners Toulouse ) remains uncertain, the reigning French champions will fine-tune their game in Asia with games scheduled to take place at the end of July and the start of August .

"After the successful tour last summer, the Paris Saint-Germain football team will once again visit Japan to play three friendly matches in Osaka and Tokyo , further solidifying the club's bond with its Japanese fans."

The 2023 summer tour is scheduled from Jul. 22nd to Aug. 2nd , during which the team will play games against Al-Nassr (Jul. 25th) and Cerezo Osaka (Jul. 28th and ) in Osaka, and then clash with Inter Milan (Aug. 1st) in Tokyo to wrap up their Asian tour.

While PSG and Cristiano Ronaldo will meet once again after doing so last January, the French team won't bring Lionel Messi along with them as the Argentine world champion will already be plying his trade elsewhere with his current contract ending by Jun. 30th .

PSG faced an All-Star team built with players from both Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr teams during a friendly gala match held in Saudi Arabia in January.

It looks like Paris Saint-Germain , even after "denying" this weekend will mark the final time Messi will play at the Parc des Princes , has already accepted his departure and has moved on from using his image in promotional content as the Argentina international was used in the promo of the new kit but not at all in the Japan Tour PR content.

Next. PSG vs. Clermont - Christophe Galtier pre-match press conference. PSG vs. Clermont - Christophe Galtier pre-match press conference. dark

PSG already visited Japan between July 17th and 28th last year, playing three friendly matches and performing different commercial activities with local partners involving their players.

Keep the circus running and the coffers open, Nasser Al-Khelaifi , because there is nothing like too-deep pockets!

Football: PSG hit 6 past Gamba to complete Japan tour in style

Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe all scored as Paris Saint-Germain overpowered Gamba Osaka 6-2 on Monday to wrap up their preseason tour of Japan with three straight wins.

After beating two-time defending J-League champions Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 on Wednesday and Urawa Reds 3-0 on Saturday, PSG had their best offensive return at a full Panasonic Stadium against a Gamba side fighting relegation from the Japanese top flight.

Gamba keeper Masaaki Higashiguchi could do little to stop Pablo Sarabia from finding the net in the 28th minute after initially saving from Messi.

Neymar won a penalty and converted from the spot four minutes later before Keisuke Kurokawa tapped in a loose ball for Gamba in the 34th minute following a cross from Kosuke Onose.

PSG responded immediately, however, as Nuno Mendes blasted home from a tight angle and Messi steered in a Neymar cross to give the visitors a 4-1 lead at the break.

Related coverage:

Football: Paris Saint-Germain run over Reds in friendly

Football: Messi scores as Paris Saint-Germain beat Frontale

Messi returned the favor for Neymar on the hour mark after playing through the Brazilian, who rounded Higashiguchi to score his second, before Gamba grabbed their second 10 minutes later through Hiroto Yamami.

But substitute Mbappe made sure he got on the scoresheet too by winning a penalty and burying it himself four minutes from time.

PSG begin their Ligue 1 title defense away to Clermont on Aug. 6.

Jul 25, 2022 | KYODO NEWS

Sumo: 23-year-old rising star Onosato wins 1st championship

May 26, 2024 | KYODO NEWS

Sumo: New champion Onosato aiming high after record-setting meet

May 27, 2024 | KYODO NEWS

Tennis: Nishikori anxious about French Open comeback

May 24, 2024 | KYODO NEWS

Toyota to end top-tier Olympic sponsorship contract after Paris Games

Tennis: kei nishikori retires from french open 2nd-round match.

May 31, 2024 | KYODO NEWS

More from Sports

Basketball: Tominaga to join Japan camp ahead of Australia friendlies

1 hour ago | KYODO NEWS

Golf: Yuka Saso wins U.S. Women's Open title for 2nd time

Jun 3, 2024 | KYODO NEWS

Baseball: Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto overcomes sluggish start in 6th win

Jun 2, 2024 | KYODO NEWS

Football: Nadeshiko Japan ease to 2-0 friendly win over New Zealand

Jun 1, 2024 | KYODO NEWS

Football: Kamada leaving Lazio, Crystal Palace among possible suitors

Surfing: Kanoa Igarashi suffers early exit at Olympics rehearsal in Tahiti

Football: English league toughens up Nadeshiko stars ahead of Paris

Athletics:Japan sprinter Sani Brown qualifies for Paris Olympics 100 meters

Subscribe to get daily news.

To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription.

* Something went wrong

Please check your inbox for a confirmation email.

If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit.

Thank you for reaching out to us. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

PSG leaves for tour of Japan without talisman Mbappé amid contract dispute

Kylian Mbappe, left, and his brother Ethan Mbappe attend a training session at the new Paris Saint-Germain training center Thursday, July 20, 2023 in Poissy, west of Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PSG’s Neymar, right, and Kylian Mbappe gesture during a training session at the new Paris Saint-Germain training center Thursday, July 20, 2023 in Poissy, west of Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

• Copy Link copied

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain left for its preseason tour of Japan on Saturday without talismanic striker Kylian Mbappé, whose future at the club looks uncertain amid a contract dispute.

Mbappé has already told the club he won’t trigger a 12-month extension on his contract, but said he would start this coming season with the French champion.

PSG left the France forward out of its 29-man squad for the Japan tour, which features matches against Saudi team Al Nassr, Japanese team Cerezo Osaka and Champions League runner-up Inter Milan.

Mbappé stepped out of a van to greet a handful of waiting PSG fans after a brief training session on Saturday at the club’s training complex in the Paris suburb of Poissy.

He looked in good spirits, smiling as he posed for photos and signed autographs with security officials standing nearby, but made no comment about his ongoing situation.

The club does not want to let Mbappé leave for free at the end of next season and says the 2022 World Cup top scorer will either sign a new contract or be sold.

The 24-year-old Mbappé wrote to tell PSG of his plans last month.

News of the letter immediately sparked a transfer frenzy that saw Mbappé linked again with Real Madrid , which offered 180 million euros ($190 million) for the striker in 2021 .

Madrid missed out last year when Mbappé signed a new deal with PSG until 2024 with an option for 2025 that needs to be signed by July 31.

Having seen teammate Lionel Messi leave for Inter Miami after not taking up an option for an extra year, PSG does not want Mbappé leaving as a free agent to Madrid, or anywhere else.

Mbappé already counts 40 goals for France and is only the second player in history to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, doing so when France lost to Argentina. He ended last year’s tournament with eight goals, one more than MVP Messi, his club teammate for the past two seasons.

Mbappé wants to see out next season with PSG and then play for France at the Paris Olympics — a request that would need to be approved by the French Football Federation and his club side.

But PSG, which for too long has been perceived as pampering star players such as Neymar, Mbappé and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is finally standing up to a big-name player.

When club president Nasser al-Khelaifi recently unveiled Luis Enrique as the new coach, he issued a reminder that there was no chance of Mbappé — PSG’s all-time leading scorer with 212 goals — going for nothing .

Running down his contract to leave PSG in one year’s time would mean losing out on a transfer fee which could even exceed the world record 222 million euros (then $262 million) it paid Barcelona for Neymar six years ago.

As a free agent, Mbappé could command a colossal signing-on fee if Madrid did not have to pay PSG for the transfer.

PSG would prefer Mbappé renews for one year which would protect its investment and oblige another club to buy him if he did insist on leaving in 2024, potentially after playing for France at the Paris Games.

The Olympic final is on Aug. 9 next year, likely at Parc des Princes — PSG’s home stadium.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports