Liverpool F.C. return to Japan for the first time in 20 years

Liverpool Football Club have officially announced that they will play in Japan for the first time since 2005.

Pre-season tour plans for the upcoming summer have been revealed and confirm that the team will travel to Asia, with scheduled stops in Hong Kong and Japan.

This marks the club’s return to the Asian continent for pre-season preparations for the first time since their tour to Singapore in the summer of 2023.

It also marks Liverpool’s first ever pre-season tour to be held in Japan.

The club’s only previous visit to Japan was in December 2005 for the FIFA Club World Championship (then known as the Toyota Cup), where they were defeated 1-0 by São Paulo in the final held in Yokohama.

Liverpool’s last match in Japan took place in 2005 at the Nissan International Stadium in Yokohama

The upcoming trip signifies a long-awaited return to Japan, where their fanbase has grown significantly in the past two decades.

The first leg of the tour will take place in Hong Kong and see Liverpool face Italian Serie A giants AC Milan in a friendly match to be held on Saturday, July 26th.

This encounter carries historical significance as it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the 2005 UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul, where Liverpool famously overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat AC Milan in a penalty shootout, a match widely known as the “Miracle of Istanbul”.

The upcoming preseason game will also serve as the inaugural football match to be played at Hong Kong’s newly opened Kai Tak Stadium, a state-of-the-art venue with a seating capacity of approximately 50,000, constructed on the site of the former Kai Tak Airport.

The match between Liverpool and AC Milan will see the two teams compete for the “Standard Chartered Trophy” sponsored by the club’s principal partner, Standard Chartered Bank.

Liverpool are managed by Arne Slot, pictured during their 2024 pre-season tour in the USA

Following their match in Hong Kong, Liverpool will proceed to Japan for the second phase of their preseason tour.

The specific dates, locations, and opponents for the Japanese leg of the tour have not yet been officially disclosed by the club but are expected to include a mix of European teams and potentially could involve local J-League teams.

Other Premier League clubs, such as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, are also scheduled to participate in the Hong Kong Football Festival in the summer of 2025, raising the possibility of one or more of these teams facing Liverpool during the Japan leg of their tour.

The decision to tour Japan for the 2025 pre-season aligns with Liverpool’s commercial strategy to further connect with their extensive fanbase in Asia.

An integral aspect of this preseason tour is the partnership with Japan Airlines (JAL), which was announced in August 2024.

Japan Airlines entered into a multi-year agreement with Liverpool FC, becoming the club’s official airline partner.

JAL also supports the Osaka Expo 2025 and its ‘Gundam Pavilion’, as well as Liverpool FC

This partnership will see Japan Airlines providing travel for the team and staff during the preseason tour.

Additionally, Liverpool’s squad currently includes Japanese international midfielder Wataru Endo, who joined the club in the summer of 2023.

Endo’s presence is likely to further amplify interest and engagement among Japanese football fans during Liverpool’s visit to his home country.

Details regarding ticket sales for the preseason matches in Hong Kong and Japan will be announced by Liverpool Football Club in due course, with supporters able to register their interest through the club’s official website.

Source: Official Website