Overview

• Hiroshi Mikitani of Rakuten stepped in with €5 million after a promoter breach delayed Barcelona’s arrival by 24 hours, ensuring the Kobe match went ahead
• Hansi Flick fielded entirely different lineups in each half to blend new signings Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford with La Masia talents Roony Bardghji, Jofre Torrents and Pedro Fernández ‘Dro’
• Barcelona secured a 3-1 victory at Noevir Stadium thanks to goals from Eric Garcia, Roony Bardghji and a late strike by ‘Dro’ in the club’s first Asian fixture since 2019
• A massive cyberattack crashed the ‘Culers Premium’ streaming service before kickoff, prompting Barcelona to shift the remainder of the match to free YouTube coverage
• The club has pledged refunds for subscribers who missed the first half and now turns its preseason focus to friendlies in Seoul on July 31 and Daegu on August 4