Barcelona and Liverpool turn back the clock for a showdown at sundown — in pictures

It’s a beautifully warm Saturday in June in Seoul, a city that offers ample options for a fun time. There’s the Han River, good for some relaxing or, if you’re so inclined — as countless people seem to be these days — jogging. Then there’s Hongdae for a night out under neon lights.

Or, a bit further west, there’s Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District, western Seoul, where, on this particular Saturday, the likes of Steven Gerrard, John Arne Riise and Sami Hyypia were having a kickabout with Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta and Rivaldo in front of a crowd of nearly 37,000.

This was the 2026 Champions Impact in Seoul match, the latest in a number of “legend” matches that bring supernovas among footballing star power to Korea. Saturday’s affair pitted legends from Barcelona against icons of Liverpool. Between the two sides were countless league, domestic cup and Champions League medals, not to mention several World Cup medals.

In a unique twist to these legend matches, the stadium was split in half, with the colors of the Blaugrana adorning the north end and the red livery of the Merseyside, er, side, brightening the south stand as fans packed their respective sections. Not that it was strict; partners with the “wrong” strips were freely embedding themselves amongst the enemy of the day. While the segregation could be considered overkill for what is essentially a retiree tour, it did boost the atmosphere, particularly during the singing of Liverpool’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”After the perfunctory introductions were dispensed with, the match kicked off, and while this was little more than a publicity stunt of sorts, the players appeared to miss the memo, with both sides moving the ball quickly and deliberately, intently sniffing out a chance at goal.

Despite the lineups spanning multiple eras for both sides — with the freshly retired Adam Lallana tracking back to catch a 54-year-old Rivaldo — the distinct legacy of each clubs’ tactical style was on full display, with Barca dominating possession and passing the ball smoothly from flank to flank, while Liverpool continually looked for the killer pass to a sprinting (or, at least, hustling) winger in an effort to quickly occupy the final third.

After some back-and-forth football, Patrick Kluivert finally broke the deadlock for Barcelona in the 25th minute, latching onto a precise through ball to leave the defense flatfooted and slot it into the bottom left corner.

Liverpool clawed one back in bizarre fashion, with captain and manager Gerrard burying the ball from inside the goal box after a frantic pinball scramble in the 34th minute.

With Gerrard managing the Liverpool side from the middle of the park, Robbie Keane was left to deputize on the bench, later joined by a substituted Dirk Kuyt to produce some comic relief as they pointed in opposite directions while barking instructions as they paced around the technical area in full kit.

The second half turned into a shooting drill for the Barca legends, with goals from Rivaldo, Andres Iniesta and a brace for substitute Nolito — an academy product who notched five whole appearances for Barcelona in 2010.

As the score continued to climb, Keane decided enough was enough and brought himself on, scoring on a botched pass from the back.

Barca responded with a goal from homegrown boy Cristian Tello — who is still technically a professional, playing in the United Arab Emirates — before Nolito sealed a hat trick, making the most of one-sixth of his games for the club.

A goal for Liverpool from Luis Garcia in the 83rd minute was almost immediately undone with an effort by Tello, and that was that — 8-3 for the Spanish side.

Regardless of the lopsided score, there’s something humbling about watching some of the greatest of a generation well past their prime — far from tipping the scales in favor of their clubs to just, well, tipping the scales — still execute a perfect trivela or deliver a pinpoint cross.

And that’s what these matches are all about, really: The chance to relive the glory days for those old enough to remember them, and an opportunity for those who aren’t to see where their club came from and feel connected to its history.

And, of course, to marvel at stars of this stature, who traveled around the world to the land of morning calm for a raucous evening of football.

BY THOMAS MCCARTHY [[email protected]]