J.LEAGUE Player Development Initiatives

In the player development domain, J.LEAGUE continued to promote various initiatives in 2025. This year, in addition to existing programmes, J.LEAGUE implemented post-youth reinforcement measures as a collaborative project with the Japan Football Association (JFA).

JFA/J.LEAGUE Collaborative Project: Post-Youth Reinforcement Measures

In collaboration with JFA, J.LEAGUE organised U-22 J.LEAGUE Selection, U-20 J.LEAGUE Selection, and U-18 J.LEAGUE Selection teams and conducted multiple training sessions aimed at developing and reinforcing post-youth players (aged 19–21). J.LEAGUE has prioritised post-youth reinforcement as a way to address the issue whereby players who turn professional after graduating high school often lack sufficient playing time at their clubs despite being at a crucial developmental age. The league hosted U-22 J.LEAGUE Selection versus Kanto University Selection in April, and U-22 J.LEAGUE Selection versus Kansai University Selection in May. The coaching staff featured legends who excelled for the Japan National Team, including Shinji ONO, Yasuhito ENDO, Toshihiro AOYAMA, and Ryoichi MAEDA. They provided not only technical guidance but also mentored players on the mindset required by professional football players, fostering players’ growth in various ways. Both matches against Kanto University Selection and Kansai University Selection remained undecided after 90 minutes, ultimately ending in penalty shootout defeats. However, participating players shared positive feedback, including “I was able to gain valuable insights from the star-studded coaching staff,” “I was able to play in a competitive match with genuine intensity for the first time in a while,” and “I want to do my best to use this experience to perform well at my club.”

Fixtures (Results)	Date	Stadium (Venue)
U-22 J.LEAGUE Selection vs. Kanto University Selection (2-2 [7-8 on penalties])	Tuesday, 22 April	DAI-ICHI CUTTER Field (Chiba)
U-22 J.LEAGUE Selection vs. Kansai University Selection (2-2 [4-5 on penalties])	Tuesday, 13 May	J-GREEN SAKAI (Osaka)
U-20 J.LEAGUE Selection vs. Malaga CF U-20 （19-0）	Friday, 6 June	(Hong Kong, China)
U-20 J.LEAGUE Selection vs. U-18 Hubei Selection Team （4-1）	Sunday, 8 June	(Hong Kong, China)
U-18 J.LEAGUE Selection vs. Queens Park Rangers U21/19 （7-1）	Sunday, 9 November	(England)

J.LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL SERIES 2025 ACADEMY MATCH

To raise the standard of football and promote goodwill and exchange with the international community, J.LEAGUE held the “J.LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL SERIES 2025 ACADEMY MATCH” featuring U-15 J.LEAGUE Selection versus Liverpool FC U15 on Tuesday 29 July and Thursday 31 July. The U-15 J.LEAGUE Selection, comprising 20 players selected from 19 J.Clubs, trained alongside top-level coaching staff including head coach Kenta KAWAI, coach Toshihiro AOYAMA, and GK coach Kosuke NAKAMURA. At AJINOMOTO FIELD NISHIGAOKA, the U-15 J.LEAGUE Selection played in front of crowds that exceeded 3,000 spectators on each day and won both matches against Liverpool FC U15.

Establishment of the “J.LEAGUE Youth Development Partners” Category

In order to reinforce player development initiatives and respond to partner needs, J.LEAGUE established “J.LEAGUE Youth Development Partners,” a new partnership category dedicated specifically to player development, in April 2025.
As J.LEAGUE expands its player development activities, this initiative aims to foster partnerships with companies that wish to support these activities and have identified opportunities for business collaboration.
In the 2025 season, J.LEAGUE signed agreements with four companies.

※The information published is current as of December 22, 2025.