Barcelona superstar receives a rousing reception upon arrival in Japan | OneFootball

Barcelona have kickstarted their pre-season trip, having arrived in Japan earlier this morning.

The team landed in Osaka before making their way to the team hotel in Kobe, where around 50 Barça fans were already waiting outside.

With Hansi Flick’s men set to play friendlies against Vissel Kobe, FC Seoul and Daegu FC, excitement is building among fans across Japan and South Korea.

Yamal receives a rousing reception

But one player who stole the show as Asian fans welcomed Barcelona with open arms was Lamine Yamal.

As reported by SPORT, the young winger received the warmest welcome of the entire squad.

Fans at the hotel, wearing Barça jerseys, were seen chanting his name and holding up shirts with “Yamal” printed across the back.

While most bore his old numbers – 19 and even 27 – a few had already managed to get hold of his new No. 10 shirt, recently vacated by Ansu Fati.

Reacting to the rousing reception, Yamal greeted the fans. He wasn’t alone either and was accompanied by his mother, Sheila Ebana, and brother, Keyne, who joined him on the trip.

Several other family members of players like Pedri and Fermin Lopez have also travelled with the squad and are staying at the Portopia Hotel.

Yamal’s growing popularity in Asia is a clear sign that the Barcelona forward is becoming a global superstar and with the added backing of the iconic number shirt, it won’t be surprising to see him become a marketing asset for Barcelona in the near future.

For now, though, Yamal will be focusing on the key matches ahead, with Barcelona slated to face Vissel Kobe on Sunday – a game that was initially cancelled due to a contract dispute but is now back on after a swift resolution.