As the K League enters its break, a prestigious European football club visits Korea to play matches.
According to Coupang on the 29th, the Coupang Play Series will be held from the 30th to the 3rd of next month. The Coupang Play Series, which began in 2022, has established itself as an annual summer event. Separately from the Coupang Play Series, Spain's FC Barcelona will also visit Korea to play two matches against K League teams from the 31st to the 4th of next month.
Through the Coupang Play Series, Tottenham Hotspur from the English Premier League, which includes national team captain Son Heung-min, and Newcastle United will visit Korea. This year's Coupang Play Series will kick off on the 30th at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium with a match between 'Team K League,' the K League All-Star team, and Newcastle. Tottenham and Newcastle will face off on August 3 at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
FC Barcelona's tour of Korea will also take place. According to Didrive, the overall promoter for the 2025 Asia Tour, FC Barcelona will play against FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 31st. They will match up against Daegu FC at Daegu Stadium at 8 p.m. on the 4th of next month. With top-class forward Robert Lewandowski and 18-year-old football prodigy Lamine Yamal reportedly visiting, football fans' attention is focused.
◇Will Son Heung-min's last match with Tottenham be held in Korea?
Newcastle, visiting through the Coupang Play Series, has faced relegation twice in the last 20 years. However, after being sold in 2021 to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth funds, it has risen again as a strong team, winning the League Cup last season. This season, they are currently in 5th place in the Premier League and are competing in the UEFA Champions League as well. Under the guidance of 47-year-old manager Eddie Howe, Newcastle features Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães, England international fullback Kieran Trippier, and winger Harvey Barnes.
Park Seung-soo, who recently transferred from K League 2's Suwon Samsung to Newcastle, is also expected to visit Korea in a Newcastle uniform. Park was included in the substitute list for a friendly match against Arsenal held in Singapore on the 27th but did not play.
Led by top scorer Jeon Jin-woo (Jeonbuk), special winger Assani (Gwangju), and midfielder Bojanic (Ulsan), players representing the K League will face Newcastle, who is visiting Korea for the first time.
The highlight of this big league football team's matches in Korea is expected to be the confrontation between Tottenham and Newcastle. There are increasing predictions that Son Heung-min may transfer to leagues in the United States or Saudi Arabia after leaving Tottenham. Some observations suggest that this friendly match may be his last game wearing a Tottenham uniform.
Son Heung-min has emerged as a world-class forward, participating in 333 official matches and scoring 173 goals during his 10 seasons at Tottenham. Last season, he also achieved victory in the historic UEFA Europa League. Tottenham is making its third visit to Korea after 2022 and last year.
The participation of Lamine Yamal in FC Barcelona's match in Korea has become a topic of interest for domestic football fans. Yamal scored 18 goals in 55 matches last season, helping Barcelona achieve a double victory in La Liga and the King's Cup while also claiming the Super Cup, securing wins in all three domestic tournaments.
On the 27th, just before the match between Barcelona and Vissel Kobe held in Japan, there was some confusion when an announcement of cancellation was released, raising concerns that the two matches scheduled in Korea might also be canceled. However, the organizers Didrive stated, 'Preparations for the friendly matches in Seoul and Daegu are currently proceeding without any issues.' This match in Seoul will be co-hosted by Genesis BBQ, while the match in Daegu will be co-hosted by the city of Daegu.