Inter Miami faced off against Vissel Kobe, the former club of the Fuentealbilla-born footballer, in a friendly match for the ages, where former Barcelona legends reunited.

Andrés Iniesta and Leo Messi met again, this time in Tokyo, courtesy of NSN. Inter Miami clashed with Vissel Kobe, the former club of the Spanish midfielder, during their 2024 preseason international tour. The National Stadium of Japan was the stage for this friendly, which ended with a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes and proceeded to a penalty shootout where Takayuki Yoshida’s team triumphed over Tata Martino’s with a 4-3 scoreline.

This match brought together great FC Barcelona legends like Leo Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez, who reunited with their former teammate from the Blaugrana squad, now playing for Emirates Club. Iniesta didn’t want to miss this unforgettable day and traveled to Japan to be present in a significant match for him, where he also took charge of performing the ceremonial kickoff. “I just wish you all enjoy this great match,” he said just before it began. The last time the Spanish midfielder shared a stadium with the current Inter Miami players was in 2018 when he bid farewell to the Blaugrana team at Camp Nou.

Although there were doubts about Messi’s participation in the friendly due to an injury, the Argentine entered the field in the 59th minute of the second half. The thousands of people present at the National Stadium of Japan were able to watch the Rosario-born footballer play for 30 minutes, but he wasn’t among those tasked with taking one of the penalties that ultimately gave Vissel Kobe the victory.

At NSN, we celebrate being able to continue taking football to another level, combining the best of sports and entertainment. The figure of our founder, Andrés Iniesta, is central to football history, and it’s a pride to have been able to organize such an important match for him, both personally and professionally.