FC Porto welcomed the Ambassador of Japan to Portugal, Nakagawa Tsutomu, to the Estádio do Dragão for an institutional visit that reinforced the Club’s international relationships and enabled further dialogue with one of the most relevant markets in the Asian continent.

The Japanese diplomat, who took office around three months ago, was accompanied by Kobayashi Yuma, Second Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Japan, and Isabel Azeredo, Honorary Consul of Japan in Porto.

In the evening, the Japanese delegation was welcomed by FC Porto President André Villas-Boas and attended the FC Porto vs. Arouca match, which ended in a Dragons victory, allowing the delegation to experience firsthand the Club’s competitive atmosphere and the passion of its supporters.

Earlier in the afternoon, the delegation held an institutional meeting at the Estádio do Dragão and visited the FC Porto Museum. The group was received by António Tavares, President of FC Porto’s General Assembly, João Borges, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, and Michele Montesi, the Club’s Chief Strategy Officer.

During the meeting, cultural and sporting ties between Portugal and Japan were discussed, alongside potential future collaboration opportunities, recognising football as an important bridge between countries and communities.

Nakagawa Tsutomu highlighted the relevance of Portuguese football on the international stage and FC Porto’s role as a global reference. “Portugal plays an important role in European and international football, and FC Porto stands as the Portuguese club with the greatest global projection. Its history, competitive culture and player development capacity are a reference and a source of inspiration for the growth and evolution of football in Japan.”

Michele Montesi, FC Porto’s Chief Strategy Officer, framed the visit within the Club’s international expansion strategy, underlining the importance of developing long-term institutional relationships with strategic partners. “This visit represents an important step in strengthening FC Porto’s institutional relationships at an international level. Japan is a country of great strategic relevance and shares with us strong values linked to sport, development and innovation, creating solid foundations for future collaboration opportunities.”

This first institutional contact therefore laid the foundations for a long-term relationship, aligned with FC Porto’s strategy of strengthening its international presence and deepening connections with strategic markets beyond Europe.