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Japanese Regional Leagues
are a group of parallel association football leagues in Japan that are organized on the regional basis. They form the fifth and sixth tier of the Japanese association football league system below the nationwide Japan Football League. Overview Japan is divided regionally in a variety of ways, some of them administrative and some more historical. For football purposes, the country is divided into nine regions. All regional league champions earn the right to participate in the Regional Football League Competition (since 2016 renamed Japanese Regional Football Champions League) at the end of the year. Runners-up may also qualify according to criteria set by the Japan Football Association. Regional league clubs also compete in the All Japan Senior Football Championship, a Single-elimination tournament, cup competition. The winner of this cup also earns a berth in the Regional League promotion series, and the runner-up may also qualify depending on space and JFA criteria. Regional ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal in most countries and territories in Asia. The AFC was formed in 1954. It has 47 members. The Asian Ladies Football Confederation (ALFC) was the section of AFC that managed women's association football in Asia. The group was independently founded in April 1968 in a meeting involving Taiwan, British Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. In 1986, ALFC merged with AFC. Executive Committee Members 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification Playoffs In June 2025, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed that Qatar and Saudi Arabia will host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The playoffs will feature six teams, comprising the third- and fourth-placed teams from the recent third round of Asian qualifiers. These teams will be divided into two groups of three, with the winners of each group advancing to the intercontinental playoff round. The deci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cerezo Osaka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Cerezo'' (Spanish for cherry blossom) is also the flower of the city of Osaka. The official hometowns of the club are Osaka and Sakai. There exists a local rivalry with Suita-based Gamba Osaka. History Beginnings (1957–1992) The club, originally called Yanmar Diesel, started in 1957 as the company team of Yanmar and was an original founder ("Original Eight") of the now-disbanded Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965. With four Japanese league titles to its credit, it was a mainstay of the JSL Division 1 until 1990 when it was first relegated, and joined the former Japan Football League (JFL) in 1992. Privatised and registered under a new name (1993–''present'') In 1993, the club incorporated as Osaka Football Club Co., Ltd. and adopted the name Cerezo Osaka after a public contest. In 1994, they won th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hokkaido Soccer League
is the Japanese fifth tier of league football, which is part of the Japanese Regional Leagues. It covers the prefecture/region of Hokkaidō. Hokkaido is the only regional league whose clubs have never been promoted. The top representative of Hokkaido in the Japanese league system, Consadole Sapporo, entered the J.League after moving from the Kanto region in 1995. Overview The Hokkaido Soccer League is the fifth tier in the Japanese soccer structure and the block leagues below corresponds to the sixth tier. There are four block leagues under the Hokkaido Soccer League, and district-based leagues are established under them. Currently, as of 2022, there are fifteen district leagues under the four main block leagues. Eight teams from all over Hokkaido participate in the competition, and the winners participate in the Regional Football League Competition. There is relegation to the Block leagues below this level, usually the teams that finish in the bottom two places in the lea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vissel Kobe
is a Japanese professional football club based in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. They are currently the J1 League champions. The club's home stadium is Noevir Stadium Kobe, in Hyōgo-ku, though some home matches are played at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku. History Beginnings in Chugoku The club was founded in 1966 as the semi-professional Kawasaki Steel Soccer Club in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture. It was first promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1986, and stayed there until the JSL folded in 1992. As their performance in the old second tier had been in the bottom nine clubs, they were put into the Japan Football League Division 2 (new third tier overall in the Japanese football league system) and stayed there until the tiers were reunited into a single second tier for 1994. Move to Kansai and professionalism In 1995, the city of Kobe reached an agreement with Kawa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avispa Fukuoka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Hakata, Fukuoka. They currently compete in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. History Earlier years in Fujieda The club were originally based in Fujieda, Shizuoka and was founded as Chūō Bōhan SC in 1982 by the workers of security company Chuo Bohan in Fujieda, Shizuoka. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1991. The club then participated in the newly founded former Japan Football League Division 2 in 1992 and were promoted to Division 1 in 1993. They changed their name to Fujieda Blux with intention to be a J.League member. However, with difficulties to have a stadium that met J.League requirements, and with local competition from Júbilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse, the football fan base in Shizuoka prefecture was already considered saturated. Move to Fukuoka (1994) As a result, in 1994, the club decided to move to Fukuoka where the community was eager to have a J.L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kashima Antlers
The are a professional association football, football club based in Kashima, Ibaraki, Japan. They currently play in the J1 League, the top tier of Japanese professional football leagues. The club has financial backing from Mercari, a Japanese e-commerce company. Since the J.League's creation and introduction of professional Japanese football in 1993, Kashima have proven themselves to be by far Japan's most successful football club in terms of trophies won, having won the J1 League title a record Japanese football champions, 8 times, the J.League Cup a record 6 times, the Emperor's Cup 5 times and the Japanese Super Cup a record 6 times for an unprecedented nineteen major domestic titles. Continentally, Kashima became Asian champions when they won the AFC Champions League in 2018 AFC Champions League, 2018. The club also won the J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship on 2 occasions in 2012 Suruga Bank Championship, 2012 and 2013 Suruga Bank Championship, 2013. Internatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kagoshima United FC
is a Japanese professional football club based in Kagoshima, Capital of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. That was formed from the merger of ''Volca Kagoshima'' and ''FC Kagoshima''. Both clubs played in the Kyushu Soccer League before the merger. Their top team is set to play in the J3 League from 2025, Japanese third tier of professional league football after relegation from J2 in 2024. Their secondary team plays in the Kagoshima Prefectural League as Kagoshima United FC SECOND. History Origins (1959–2013) Volca Kagoshima was established in 1959 as Kagoshima Teachers' Soccer Club. The club was a founding member of the Kyushu Soccer League in 1973. Since the league's inception, the club had always played in this league and never be relegated to the Prefectural Leagues until the merge with FC Kagoshima in 2014. They advanced to the Regional League promotion series five times, but never succeeded to promote to the upper tier, Japan Football League, known as the highest level f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
YKK AP SC
was a Japanese football club based in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture. The team played in the Toyama Prefectural League. Their team colour was blue. Formed in 1962 as the YKK company team, they merged with another team to create Kataller Toyama after the 2007 season. A new amateur employee team from YKK took on the old name in 2007. History The YKK Soccer Club was founded in 1962 as the football club of the company YKK (then Yoshida Kōgyō). They won the inaugural 1972 season title of the Hokushin'etsu Regional League, and went on to win another 10 championships in the league before they were promoted to the Japan Football League (JFL) for the 2001 season. They changed their name to the current one in 2004 when YKK passed the ownership to a subsidiary company, YKK AP (YKK Architectural Products). In the regional league, ALO's Hokuriku had been their biggest rival as the two competed for the right to participate as the representative for Toyama in Emperor's Cup. Merger into a pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ALO's Hokuriku
was a Japanese football club based in Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture. They played in the Japan Football League, and their team colour was blue. Their nickname ''ALO's'' derives from '' Antelopes.'' '' Hokuriku'' refers to the region that includes Toyama and its neighbouring prefectures. History As an amateur team The club was founded as Hokuriku Electric Power Company's football club in 1990. They changed their name to ALO's Hokuriku to show their intention to be more community-oriented in 1996, although the company still control the club (thus rendering it ineligible for promotion to the J. League, regardless of results). They have been playing in the JFL since 2000. Since they were in regional league, YKK AP F.C. had been the biggest rival all the time as they have to compete for the right to participate in Emperor's Cup as the representative of Toyama. Merger as a professional team On September 10, 2007, Hokuriku Electric Power Company and YKK agreed wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kataller Toyama
is a football club based in Toyama, Capital of Toyama Prefecture. The club currently play in J2 League after promotion from J3 in 2024, Japanese second tier of professional football. History The idea of a merged club had been discussed by the Toyama Prefectural Football Association as early as 2005, but discussions had come to nothing at the time. On 10 September 2007, YKK (owner of YKK AP SC) and Hokuriku Electric Power Company (owner of ALO's Hokuriku), agreed with merging their clubs to aim promotion to the J.League in response of eager request by the TPFA. According to Tulip TV, local broadcasting company, over twenty companies informally promised to invest in the new club. In the media briefing, the governor of Toyama Prefecture also participated. TPFA has founded an organisation named "Civic Football Club Team of Toyama Prefecture (富山県民サッカークラブチーム)" with two major economic organisation and representatives of Hokuriku Electric Power Compan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yokohama FC
is a Japanese professional football club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club was formed by fans of Yokohama Flügels as a protest against Flügels' merger with Yokohama Marinos in 1999, becoming the first supporter-owned professional sports team in Japan. They are set to play in the J1 League from 2025, the top tier of football in the country, after promotion from J2 League in 2024. Since gaining J.League membership in 2001, Yokohama spent considerable time in the second tier of the Japanese football league system. The club gained promotion to J.League Division 1 for the 2007 season after winning the Division 2 title. However, YFC were immediately relegated in the following season. After 12 years in the J2 League, they returned to Japan's top tier, now called J1 League, for the 2020 season. The team finished 15th in its first season back in the top flight. But history would repeat itself in 2021, as they were relegated to J2 afte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tosu Futures
The was a former Japanese football club that played in the Japan Football League between 1994 and 1996. History PJM Futures was founded in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka in 1987 as the team of PJM Japan, a company based on Paul J. Meyer's U.S. academy Success Motivation Institute (the company name came from Meyer's initials). The club was later moved to Tosu, Saga in 1994, where it changed its name to Tosu Futures. This happened one year after joining the former Japan Football League's Division 2 (which was merged into a single JFL division in 1994). Saga Stadium was used as a temporary home ground until Tosu Stadium opened in 1996. In January 1997, Tosu futures ceased operations following the withdrawal of PJM Japan and was dissolved. In February 1997, Sagan Tosu was established. Former players * Hitoshi Morishita (1987–1996) * Shigetatsu Matsunaga (1995–1996) * Stephen Tataw (1995–1996) * Sergio Batista (1993–1994) * Hugo Maradona (1992–1994) * Pedro Pasculli (1994) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
