Strategic Partnership Agreement with Saudi Pro League (SPL)

On 20 May 2024, J.LEAGUE entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Pro League (SPL). The two leagues intend to collaborate closely to lead Asian football as the frontrunners in East and West Asia.

Strategic Partnership Agreement Contents and Duration

Contents:

• ・Personnel exchange to improve football standards
• ・Workshops and business conferences to foster the growth and development of both leagues and information sharing on topics such as player development
• ・International exchange through events and friendly matches

Duration:
20 May 2024 to 31 December 2025

Alongside SPL, J.LEAGUE has established partnership agreements with professional leagues in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These partnerships aim to exchange information essential for developing football and leagues in each country, as well as to implement various initiatives to enhance competitiveness and raise the standard of Asian football.

Vietnamese Professional League Officials Visit Japan to Observe J.LEAGUE

In December 2024, 41 representatives, including the Chairman of the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF) and club representatives, visited Japan. They toured the facilities of the J.LEAGUE, Urawa Reds, Kawasaki Frontale, and Gamba Osaka, exchanging views on J.LEAGUE and J.Club management as well as player development. The delegation also attended the AFC Champions League Elite matches and the final match of the MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE season.

List of inter-league partner countries

League	year of conclusion
Thai League	2012
Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company	2012
Myanmar National League	2012
Cambodian League	2013
Singapore Premier League	2013
Liga Indonesia	2014
Malaysia Super League	2015
Saudi Pro League	2024

※Players who have nationalities of the leagues listed above are not treated to be foreign players for the squad, but players who have nationalities of Saudi Arabia will be treated as foreign players.

J.Clubs’ Global Business and Exchange Activities

Almost half of the 60 J.Clubs promoted global business and exchange activities, mainly in Southeast Asia.
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, Kawasaki Frontale, and Cerezo Osaka, which have been active in Southeast Asia since the launch of the Asia Strategy in 2012, continued to strengthen their ties in the region, while many other J.Clubs expanded their overseas activities in 2024.
Notably, J.Clubs’ activities in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia account for approximately 70% of all overseas operations, demonstrating a year-on-year upward trend. Business activities have accelerated across various areas, including the recruitment of athletes to play in J.LEAGUE, partnerships with local and Japanese companies operating in these countries, exchanges of players and coaches through local club affiliations, support for coaching development, local football school projects, and more.

Below are some key activities from 2024.

FC Machida Zelvia: Thailand

FC Machida Zelvia visited Southeast Asia several times to expand their networks and conduct sponsor activations at club academy tournaments overseas. They organised football clinics in Thailand (October) and Vietnam (December) with sponsorship from both Japanese and local companies.

©FC Machida Zelvia

©FC Machida Zelvia

Ventforet Kofu: Indonesia

Ventforet Kofu secured a major Indonesian company as their main partner and conducted football clinics in Jakarta, Bandung, and Balikpapan, the base of the partner company and near Indonesia’s future capital. At the same time, the initiative promoted exchange between Japan, Yamanashi Prefecture, and Indonesia, with support and cooperation from many Japanese companies operating in Indonesia.

©Ventforet Kofu

©Ventforet Kofu

Avispa Fukuoka: Thailand

Leveraging Fukuoka’s proximity to Asian countries, Avispa Fukuoka conducted training camp promotional activities, club exchanges, and coaching clinics in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere. In November, they co-hosted the Bangkok U-13 Dream Cup in Thailand with partner club Port FC, inviting MVP players and several coaches to Avispa Fukuoka. The players came to Japan in December and participated in Avispa Fukuoka Academy training.

©Avispa Fukuoka

©Avispa Fukuoka

Thai Life Insurance J.LEAGUE ASIA CHALLENGE 2023/24 powered by MEIJI YASUDA

Thai Life Insurance J.LEAGUE ASIA CHALLENGE 2023/24 powered by MEIJI YASUDA match between BG Pathum United and Cerezo Osaka took place at BG Stadium in Thailand on 2 February 2024, marking the second match of this tournament (following one held in December 2023) and the fourth Asia Challenge event in Thailand overall. The match attracted 9,028 spectators, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere with many Thai fans present.
Apart from the stadium audience, the match was aired across Thailand on terrestrial television and streamed on YouTube platforms.

Japan Friendship Ties Programme “JENESYS” Cooperation: 110 High School Students from 11 Southeast Asian Nations Visit Japan

J.LEAGUE collaborated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Japan Friendship Ties Programme “JENESYS” as part of its efforts to promote youth exchange between Japan and ASEAN nations through football.

From 28 October to 4 November, the programme brought to Japan 110 high school students from ASEAN nations and Timor-Leste who shared an interest in the contribution of sports to the SDGs and in addressing social issues. With support from the J.LEAGUE and participating clubs—Iwaki FC, JEF United Chiba, Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama F･Marinos, and Shonan Bellmare—the students gained firsthand experience of the SDG initiatives and community contribution activities advocated by J.LEAGUE and J.Clubs.

Details can be found on this site（Japanese page only）.

Overseas broadcasts

Continuing from the previous year, broadcasts in 2024 were provided by local stations in approximately 20 countries, primarily in Asia. Indonesia (PSJ TV) and Hong Kong (myTV SUPER) joined as new broadcasting partners, with Hong Kong resuming local broadcasting for the first time in two years, since 2022. Hong Kong has a particularly large base of J.LEAGUE fans and supporters compared to other countries. In October, a campaign aimed at myTV SUPER viewers was conducted, with winning fans invited to an FC Tokyo match, where they enjoyed special experiences, such as seeing players and managers up close, as part of a new initiative beyond broadcasting.
For other regions, two matches per MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE matchweek were streamed on the international version of J.LEAGUE’s official YouTube channel, ensuring that J.LEAGUE matches can be viewed globally.