Thanks to NSN, Andrés Iniesta and Leo Messi reunited in Tokyo. The Spanish midfielder’s former team, Vissel Kobe, battled with Inter Miami during the 2024 preseason international tour. The friendly match took place in Japan’s National Stadium and finished in a scoreless draw after 90 minutes. The match went to a penalty shootout, which Takayuki Yoshida’s squad won 4-3.
The match included a reuniting of former Blaugrana teammates Luis Suárez and Messi, as well as Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez, who is currently playing for Emirates Club. To make sure he didn’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Iniesta came to Japan to attend a meaningful match and conduct the ceremonial kickoff. Speaking soon before the match started, he wished everyone a wonderful time. The Spanish midfielder last played in the same stadium as the current Inter Miami roster in 2018—at Camp Nou—during his farewell match for the Blaugrana.
Messi, whose injury cast doubt on his ability to play in the friendly, finally came off the bench in the 59th minute of the second half. Even though he didn’t get a chance to take a penalty kick that would have given Vissel Kobe the win, the Rosario native played for 30 minutes in front of the thousands of fans at Japan’s National Stadium.
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.