Sixteen previous FC Barcelona games in Japan

Barça are currently en route to Japan to play a friendly against Vissel Kobe featuring Andrés Iniesta and Sergi Samper on June 6. It's four years since the team last visited a country where they have played sixteen times in the past.

16 games and two Club World Cups

Six of those games were part of three different Club World Cups that the team appeared in, all in Yokohama. In 2006, Barça lost the final to Brazilian side Internacional Porto Alegre after beating Amèrica of Mexico in the semis.

However, they were victorious on the other two occasions. In 2011, they beat Al Sadd of Qatar in the semi-finals to earn a place in the final against Santos of Brazil, who they also beat, 3-0.

Then in 2015, Barça beat Guangzhou Evergrande of China 3-0 in the semi, with all the goals netted by Luis Suárez, before winning the final by the same score. The opposition were River Plate of Argentina, and the Uruguayan scored two more goals in that game, with Leo Messi getting the other.

Preseason friendlies

The first ever visit to Japan was in 1990, for two games against an All Star J-League team, drawing 1-1 in Hiroshima and winning 4-2 in Tokyo.

It was 14 years before they returned. That was on the 2004 Asian Tour, where they beat Kashima Antlers 5-0 and Jubilo Iwata 3-0. Barça returned to Japan three years later for two more games. They drew 3-3 with Yokohama Marinos and then beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0.

And they returned to Japan again the following summer, drawing 1-1 with Yokohama Marinos.

Last game also versus Vissel Kobe

In 2007, Barça went to Japan for the third summer running. They again faced Yokohama Marinos, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal scored by Giovani dos Santos.

Other than the two Club World Cups, Barça would not be back in Japan until 2019 for what was branded the Rakuten Cup, losing 2-1 to Chelsea before beating Vissel Kobe 2-0, the same side they'll meet again on June 6.