Japan Football Association Launches Real-Life 'Blue Lock' Project in the USA
The Japan Football Association (JFA) has launched a real-life talent scouting project in collaboration with the popular manga and anime series Blue Lock. The project is designed to discover young soccer players in the United States and train them at an elite level. According to Anime Corner, this collaboration aims to bring new momentum to soccer development in the U.S. by combining the worlds of sports and media.
The series' story centers on a training camp where 300 young soccer players compete to create Japan's best striker. Created by Muneyuki Kaneshiro (writer) and Yusuke Nomura (illustrator), the manga is published in Weekly Shonen Magazine and has gained millions of fans worldwide. Now, this fictional competition is becoming reality; the JFA plans to reach young talents using Blue Lock's philosophy of 'only the best survive.'
Although the full details of the project have not been announced yet, trials, camps, and special training programs for young soccer players in the U.S. are expected. With this initiative, the JFA is not only entering the American market but also aiming to accelerate soccer development by using the popularity of the Blue Lock brand in the real world. The anime adaptation of the series aired in 2022 and quickly gained a large audience.
This kind of collaboration is a rare move in the anime/manga industry. Previously, sports-themed series like Captain Tsubasa had collaborated with the JFA, but they did not adopt a model as aggressive and competitive as Blue Lock. The project has generated great excitement among both soccer enthusiasts and anime fans. More information about trial dates and application requirements in the U.S. is expected in the coming months. If the project is successful, similar Blue Lock camps may be opened in other countries.
