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Barcelona, Tottenham, Newcastle set for preseason matches in Korea

Published: 28 Jul. 2025, 11:14

Jacob Murphy of Newcastle United, right, celebrates with teammate Fabian Schar after scoring a goal against Arsenal during the clubs' preseason friendly match at National Stadium in Singapore on July 27. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Fans of European football in Korea will be in for a fun ride starting this week, with three popular clubs all visiting the country for preseason matches.

Newcastle United, the reigning English Football League Cup champions, will take on the team of Korean league All-Stars, Team K League, at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Gyeonggi. It will be the first of two matches in the annual Coupang Play Series, run by the namesake Korean online streaming platform that hosts European clubs for preseason action each summer.

Newcastle will then play Tottenham Hotspur, the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League champions captained by Korean superstar Son Heung-min, at 8 p.m. Sunday at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Sandwiched between those two matches — not part of the Coupang Play Series — will be FC Barcelona's first match in Korea in 15 years.

The Spanish giants will face FC Seoul of the K League 1 at 8 p.m. Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Then next Monday, Barca will travel to face another K League 1 side, Daegu FC, at Daegu Stadium in Daegu.

With Son having been subject to persistent transfer speculation as he enters the final season of his contract, the upcoming trip could be the final chance for Son's Korean fans to see him in Spurs kits here.

The traveling squad for Spurs' Asian tour — they will play Arsenal in Hong Kong on Thursday — will also feature the Korean teenager Yang Min-hyeok. The 19-year-old forward signed for Tottenham last summer but was loaned to Queens Park Rangers in January before making his senior debut for Spurs.

Newcastle, who lost to Arsenal 3-2 in Singapore, will be without their top scorer from last season, Alexander Isak, who has been ruled out with what the club said was a minor thigh injury. After finishing second overall in the Premier League last season with 23 goals, Isak has been linked to Liverpool.

Players for FC Barcelona, center, and Vissel Kobe shake hands after their clubs' friendly match at Noevir Stadium Kobe in Kobe, Japan, on July 27. [AFP/YONHAP]

Neither of the Premier League clubs will be able to match the sheer star power of FC Barcelona. The 28-time La Liga champions will be led by their teen sensation Lamine Yamal, recently given the iconic No. 10 previously worn by the club legend Lionel Messi.

Raphinha, the 2024-2025 La Liga Player of the Season, and Robert Lewandowski, who netted 27 goals at age 36 last season, will also be on the Asian tour.

Former Manchester United star Marcus Rashford was recently loaned to Barcelona, setting up a potential matchup against his former Man United teammate currently with FC Seoul, Jesse Lingard.

Barca defeated the Japanese club Vissel Kobe 3-1 in Kobe, Japan, on Sunday before making their way to Korea.

The Spanish club's Asian trip appeared to be in danger of being scrapped last week, when they suspended their match in Japan over contractual issues with a promoter. They were resolved at the last minute, with the Korean promoter insisting the two preseason matches here wouldn't have been affected either way.

Yonhap