PSG confirm pre-season Japan Tour for 2023

PSG, Japan
PSG, Japan | TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/GettyImages

As we already reported last March, PSG has made the official announcement of their plans to embark on a new tour of Japan as part of their summer preseason.

The Parisian club will organize three friendly matches in the Asian country, including a rematch against Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr from Saudi Arabia. Both teams already played each other following the World Cup when PSG visited the Middle Eastern country last January.

This summer, PSG will return to Japan, replicating their initiative from the previous year. Last preseason, Paris Saint-Germain already toured the Asian nation when they trained and got ready for the now-ending 2022/23 campaign.

While the scheduling of the Trophée des Champions (PSG will face French Cup winners Toulouse) remains uncertain, the reigning French champions will fine-tune their game in Asia with games scheduled to take place at the end of July and the start of August.

"After the successful tour last summer, the Paris Saint-Germain football team will once again visit Japan to play three friendly matches in Osaka and Tokyo, further solidifying the club's bond with its Japanese fans."

The 2023 summer tour is scheduled from Jul. 22nd to Aug. 2nd, during which the team will play games against Al-Nassr (Jul. 25th) and Cerezo Osaka (Jul. 28th and ) in Osaka, and then clash with Inter Milan (Aug. 1st) in Tokyo to wrap up their Asian tour.

While PSG and Cristiano Ronaldo will meet once again after doing so last January, the French team won't bring Lionel Messi along with them as the Argentine world champion will already be plying his trade elsewhere with his current contract ending by Jun. 30th.

PSG faced an All-Star team built with players from both Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr teams during a friendly gala match held in Saudi Arabia in January.

It looks like Paris Saint-Germain, even after "denying" this weekend will mark the final time Messi will play at the Parc des Princes, has already accepted his departure and has moved on from using his image in promotional content as the Argentina international was used in the promo of the new kit but not at all in the Japan Tour PR content.

PSG already visited Japan between July 17th and 28th last year, playing three friendly matches and performing different commercial activities with local partners involving their players.

Keep the circus running and the coffers open, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, because there is nothing like too-deep pockets!