Japan is launching a soccer project based on the anime "Blue Lock"
The Japan Football Association has announced the launch of a new soccer project based on the popular anime *Blue Lock*.
The initiative is called “Camp of the Future” and aims to scout young talent outside of Japan.
As part of the project, the Japanese side plans to develop an international training system for young players and adapt Japanese soccer to global competition.
Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto stated that the era when promising Japanese soccer players developed exclusively within the country has come to an end.
“We receive many inquiries regarding youth development programs abroad. Global soccer is becoming boundless, and the era of young Japanese players remaining exclusively in Japan has ended. We are delighted to take on this challenge together with ‘The Blue Prison,’ a project that embodies a serious ambition for global dominance,” Miyamoto said.
The first training camp as part of the project will take place from August 3 to 6, 2026, in California, USA.
Players under the age of 16 will be invited to participate. The organizers expect the program to help discover a new generation of players for Japanese soccer.
The full list of participants for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has also been announced.
The tournament groups are as follows:
- Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
- Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
- Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
- Group E: Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
- Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
- Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
- Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
- Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
- Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The top two teams from each group, as well as the eight best third-place finishers, will advance to the Round of 16.
The Ukrainian national team failed to qualify for the World Cup, losing to the Sweden national football team in the playoff semifinals.
2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Path B. Semifinal
Ukraine – Sweden – 1:3
Goals: Ponomarenko (90+1) – Jökers (6, 51, 72).
Earlier, the South Korean government officially announced its intention to fund fan groups that will support the North Korean women’s soccer club “Nekohyang.”
Inna Kochubey has been named head coach of the Ukrainian women’s national basketball team
North Korean and South Korean soccer players did not shake hands before the match
Yaremchuk was named the worst player of the match against Toulouse by L'Équipe.
