Messi, Neymar : 10 days in PSG Offline!
The whole of Japan was excited by the star players’ visit to Japan.
Paris Saint-Germain, a powerful team in France’s first division, toured Japan for 10 days from July 17 to 26. The club is one of the world’s leading mega clubs, with top players from various countries, including Argentina’s Lionel Messi (35), Brazil’s Neymar (30), and France’s Kylian Mbappe (23), and the total annual salary of its players exceeds 60 billion yen.
Starting with a match against Kawasaki Frontale on March 20, Paris Saint-Germain won all their matches against Urawa Reds on March 23, and Gamba Osaka on March 25. The stars of the Paris Saint-Germain team, who wowed the fans with their spectacular feats, were able to enjoy Japan despite the overcrowded schedule. Here is a look back at the stars who were not caught on TV, centering on the world’s greatest trio “MNM” (Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe).
They went sightseeing in Tokyo on the 21st, the day after the victory over Kawasaki. While Messi had a leisurely lunch at the hotel and Mbappe enjoyed a judo experience at an event, Neymar and his teammates visited Hie Shrine. After a Shinto priest explained the history of the shrine, Neymar and his teammates enjoyed sightseeing, including taking commemorative photos. Afterwards, they enjoyed a meal at a long-established sushi restaurant in Shibuya. In the evening, they headed home to join the team’s practice session.
On the 22nd, the three began their activities in the morning and boarded a hired wagon with their teammates before 11:00. The car with Messi went to IHI Stage Around Tokyo in Toyosu, while Neymar and Mbappe went to a sports facility in Ariake to attend a “Flames of Athletics TV” (TBS) taping.
Fans flocked to the hotel and the training ground every day, and every time a car carrying the three came in and out of the venue, they would shout “Neymar! Messi! and “Messi!
On the 24th, the star-studded group traveled to Osaka for a match against Gamba Osaka. After boarding the Nozomi train at just after 11:00 a.m., Neymar and his Brazilian teammates looked relaxed and comfortable together. Neymar scored his first goal of the Japan tour on the 25th. In the end, the three players scored a total of six goals in the three games, and left Japan by plane for Paris on the 26th.
The New National Stadium and Panasonic Stadium Suita, the venues of the tour, broke the record for the largest number of visitors, and all the tickets for the 20,000 seats for the open practice sessions were sold out. The economic impact of the tour is estimated at over 10 billion yen. The relationship between the world’s star corps and Japan will continue, as the first school will open in Tokyo in October in preparation for the opening of the academy.
Photo: Yuri Adachi, Yasuko Funamoto, Kyodo News