LAFC and Japanese club Vissel Kobe announced the two clubs will face off in a preseason friendly match on Thursday, Jan. 31 at Banc of California Stadium at 7:00 p.m. PT.
The star-studded team from the J-League features world football legends Andres Iniesta and David Villa, who led Spain to the 2010 World Cup title and are recognized as two of the greatest attacking players of all-time, as well as top German striker and 2014 World Cup winner Lukas Podolski.
Tickets for this historic match start as low as $25.
After setting an MLS record with 57 points in its inaugural season in 2018, LAFC begins training camp for its second season on Jan. 21 and opens the 2019 season on March 3 at Banc of California Stadium vs. Sporting Kansas City.
Located in the city of Kobe and playing in Japan’s top Division, Vissel Kobe brings a trio of world soccer legends to play LAFC in the Heart of Los Angeles.
Celebrated as one of the all-time best midfielders in world football, Iniesta played 16 seasons for Barcelona, making 442 appearances and winning 33 trophies for the Spanish Club, including nine La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League championships. He is a nine-time FIFA World XI team member and was named to the UEFA Team of the Year six times. He played 131 times for Spain and combined with Villa to help Barcelona win the 2010 UEFA Champions League and the 2010 World Cup for Spain.
Known as one of the greatest goal scorers of his generation and perhaps the best Spanish striker of all-time, Villa announced he will join Vissel Kobe this month after scoring 80 goals in 124 MLS games for NYCFC. A veteran of Spain’s La Liga, Villa joined Iniesta and Barcelona in 2010, before leaving for Atletico Madrid in 2013 where he led them to the La Liga title with 13 goals.
Podolski is one of the most decorated players in German history, scoring 48 goals in 129 international appearances, making him the country’s fourth-highest all-time goal scorer. He was a member of Germany’s 2014 World Cup winning squad and starred for top international clubs such as Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Galatasaray.
The only way for fans and supporters to guarantee seats for all LAFC matches is to become an LAFC Season Member. Limited number of memberships remain available. For more information and to place your deposit for 2019, visit the Club’s Season Ticket Membership page. Single match tickets will go on-sale at a later date. Fans can fill out the single game request form for further details.
