MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE

The final matchweek saw dramatic conclusions to the battles for the title, automatic promotion, and J1 Promotion Play-off places, with Mito HollyHock claiming their first-ever title. Having competed in J2 for 26 seasons since joining the J.LEAGUE in 2000, Mito also secured their first-ever promotion to J1. Under Manager Naoki MORI, who has been in charge since midway through last season, they maintained a stable run built on a solid defence, holding a place in the top two for automatic promotion from Matchweek 20 onwards. With points level with V-Varen Nagasaki, they secured their moment of glory by virtue of goal difference. Nagasaki, who recorded the most goals in the league, narrowly finished second but secured their return to J1 after eight years.
JEF United Chiba won the J1 Promotion Play-off, finishing third in the league and returning to the J1 stage for the first time in 17 years.

MEIJI YASUDA J3 LEAGUE

First-time champions TOCHIGI CITY and runners-up Vanraure Hachinohe will both be promoted to J2 for the first time. Hachinohe held the top spot from Matchweek 22 but struggled to accumulate points as hoped in the final stretch. TOCHIGI C rose to first place in Matchweek 35 and secured a place in the top two for automatic promotion in Matchweek 37, with the title decided in the final matchweek. The team, led by Manager Naoki IMAYA, leveraged joint-highest goalscoring in the league to claim the J3 crown just one year after promotion from the Japan Football League (JFL). Hachinohe showed stable performances throughout most of the season, built on the league’s best defensive record.
The J2 Promotion Play-off was won by Tegevajaro Miyazaki, who finished fourth in the league, and they will compete in J2 for the first time next season.

FUJIFILM SUPER CUP 2025

2024 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE champions
104rd Emperor’s Cup winnersVissel Kobe

　　2024 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE 2nd Place　　Sanfrecce Hiroshima

In this customary season-opening fixture, Sanfrecce Hiroshima defeated Vissel Kobe 2–0 to claim their fifth title—their first since 2016. As Kobe won the double of the J.LEAGUE title and the Emperor’s Cup JFA Japan Football Championship the previous season, Hiroshima, who finished second in the league, took part. A competition-record 53,343 spectators watched at the Japan National Stadium. The opening goal came in the 12th minute when Shuto NAKANO delivered a cross from the right side, which Tolgay Arslan headed home. Hiroshima continued to dominate in the second half and extended their lead in the 70th minute when Hayato ARAKI headed home from a corner kick. They also kept a clean sheet defensively, getting the season off to an auspicious start by claiming the first title of the campaign.

J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Kashiwa Reysol

Sanfrecce Hiroshima secured their second title—their first in three years—with a convincing 3–1 win over Kashiwa Reysol in the final. A crowd of 62,466—rivalling the competition record of 62,517 from the previous final—watched the fierce contest at the Japan National Stadium.
Hiroshima took control of the match by capitalising on their trademark set pieces to build their lead. The opening goal came in the 25th minute when Shuto NAKANO launched a long throw-in towards the Kashiwa goal, which Hayato ARAKI met with a towering header. In the 38th minute, Shunki HIGASHI struck directly from a free kick to double the advantage. In the 2nd minute of first-half added time, another long throw by Nakano was headed down by Sho SASAKI at the goalmouth, and Ryo GERMAIN prodded it into the net with a single touch. Kashiwa’s Mao HOSOYA, who came on in the second half, pulled one back in the 81st minute, but they could not again break through Hiroshima’s solid defence, which had conceded the fewest goals in this season’s J1.
Hiroshima’s Araki received the MVP Award, given to the player who contributed most to the title, while 19-year-old Yotaro NAKAJIMA, also from Hiroshima, was selected for the competition’s New Hero Award.

AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) 2024/25

In this competition to determine Asia’s club champions, all three Japanese participants—Kawasaki Frontale, Yokohama F･Marinos, and Vissel Kobe—progressed through the group stage. Kobe were eliminated in the Round of 16, and Yokohama FM in the quarter-finals, but Kawasaki advanced to the final as the only team from the East Region to reach the semi-finals. They fell 0–2 to Al-Ahli Saudi (Saudi Arabia) in the final, coming up just short of the summit.

AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2) 2024/25

Sanfrecce Hiroshima were eliminated in the quarter-finals. They topped their group and comfortably progressed past Nam Dinh FC (Vietnam) in the Round of 16. However, despite a crushing 6–1 first-leg victory over Lion City Sailors (Singapore), the match was declared a forfeit for fielding an ineligible player, resulting in a 0–3 defeat by the ruling. The second leg ended 1–1, and recovery proved impossible.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025

From this edition onward, the tournament transitioned to a new format held every four years, mirroring the FIFA World Cup for national teams. The number of participating clubs expanded from 7 to 32. Total prize money was also significantly increased, with the largest-ever Club World Cup staged in the United States.
Urawa Red Diamonds participated for the fourth time, facing CA River Plate (Argentina), Inter Milan (Italy), and CF Monterrey (Mexico) in Group E.
Although they were eliminated at the group stage and could not progress to the knockout rounds, many supporters travelled to the United States to cheer on the players.