2026 J1 100 Year Vision League
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 7 February – 7 June |
← 2025 2026–27 → | |
The 2026 J1 100 Year Vision League, also known as the 2026 Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League (Japanese: 2026 明治安田J1百年構想リーグ, Hepburn: 2026 Meiji Yasuda J1 Hyakunen Kōsō Rīgu), is a tournament organised by the Japan Professional Football League and is part of the J.League 100 Year Vision League tournament, scheduled to be held from 7 February to 7 June 2026.[1][2][3] All 20 clubs from the J1 League will participate.
Overview
As the Japan Professional Football League (J.League) transitions to an "autumn-spring system" in 2026, the J.League 100 Year Vision League will be a special tournament held during the transitional period. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co., Ltd.[4] has signed a four-year contract from the 2023 season, to be the title partner of this tournament.[5]
Although this tournament is a league competition organized by the J.League, there will be no relegation to the J2 League based on the results of this tournament. The winning club will be given the right to participate as Japan's second representative in the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite.[6]
Format
- Regional round (7 February – 24 May)
The 20 teams competing in the 2026–27 J1 League—the top 17 teams from the 2025 J1 League as well as three promoted sides from the 2025 J2 League—will be divided into 2 regions of East and West (10 teams each); each region will play a double round-robin home and away format. Clubs from the same prefecture will be grouped together as much as possible. In addition, the number of clubs playing in snowy regions, where home games cannot be played in February and March will also take into consideration. If the winners can not be decided within 90 minutes, a penalty shoot-out will be played to decide the winners. For this tournament, the usual points system is retained, but the winners of the shoot-out will receive an extra point.
- Playoff round (6–7 June)
Teams with the same placement in each group in the regional round will play home and away matches against each other to determine the final rankings (for example, matches between first-placed teams will decide first and second place overall, matches between second-placed teams will decide third and fourth place overall).
If the winners on aggregate is not determined after the two legs, two 15-minute periods of extra time will be played; if the winners is still not decided after extra time, a penalty shoot-out will be played.
- Prize money
The top three teams at the end of the tournament will receive the prize money of JPY 150 million for the winners, JPY 60 million for runners-up, and JPY 30 million for the third place. During the regional round, each point is worth JPY 2 million. All teams will also receive additional fees based on their competition ranking and popularity ranking.
Clubs
Personnel and kits
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in the table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nagoya Grampus | Kenta Hasegawa[7] | End of contract | 12 November 2025 | Pre-season | Mihailo Petrović[8] | 18 December 2025 |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | Tadahiro Akiba[9] | End of contract | 6 December 2025 | Takayuki Yoshida[10] | 8 December 2025 | |
| Mito HollyHock | Naoki Mori[11] | Promoted as football director | 8 December 2025 | Daisuke Kimori[12] | ||
| Vissel Kobe | Takayuki Yoshida[13] | End of contract | 9 December 2025 | Michael Skibbe[14] | 14 December 2025 | |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Michael Skibbe[15] | Mutual consent | 10 December 2025 | Bartosch Gaul[16] | 15 December 2025 | |
| Gamba Osaka | Dani Poyatos[17] | End of contract | 11 December 2025 | Jens Wissing[18] | 12 December 2025 |
Foreign players
From the 2019 season, there are no limitations on signing foreign players, but clubs can only register up to five of them for a single matchday squad.[19] Players from J.League partner nations (Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia) were exempted from these restrictions.
- Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
- Player's name in italics indicates the player has Japanese nationality in addition to their FIFA nationality, holds the nationality of a J.League partner nation, or is exempt from being treated as a foreign player due to having been born in Japan and being enrolled in, or having graduated from an approved type of school in the country.[20]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JEF United Chiba | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Finals |
| 2 | Kashima Antlers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3rd–4th place playoff |
| 3 | Kashiwa Reysol | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5th–6th place playoff |
| 4 | Kawasaki Frontale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7th–8th place playoff |
| 5 | Mito HollyHock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th–10th place playoff |
| 6 | Machida Zelvia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th–12th place playoff |
| 7 | FC Tokyo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13th–14th place playoff |
| 8 | Tokyo Verdy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15th–16th place playoff |
| 9 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17th–18th place playoff |
| 10 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19th–20th place playoff |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PKW | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avispa Fukuoka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Finals |
| 2 | Cerezo Osaka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3rd–4th place playoff |
| 3 | Fagiano Okayama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5th–6th place playoff |
| 4 | Gamba Osaka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7th–8th place playoff |
| 5 | Kyoto Sanga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9th–10th place playoff |
| 6 | Nagoya Grampus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11th–12th place playoff |
| 7 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13th–14th place playoff |
| 8 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15th–16th place playoff |
| 9 | V-Varen Nagasaki | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17th–18th place playoff |
| 10 | Vissel Kobe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19th–20th place playoff |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head.
Results
Season statistics
Awards
References
- ^ "2026年前半 シーズン移行期の特別大会について" [Special tournaments during the transition period in the first half of 2026]. JLeague.jp (in Japanese). Japan Professional Football League. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ "2026特別シーズンにおける特別大会について" [Special Tournaments in the 2026 Special Season]. JLeague.jp (in Japanese). Japan Professional Football League. 29 July 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ "MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "明治安田生命とのタイトルパートナー契約更新について".
- ^ "2026年2月に開幕する特別大会の名称を決定 「明治安田Ｊリーグ百年構想リーグ」".
- ^ "ACLE 2026/27 および ACL2 2026/27のクラブノミネーション方法について".
- ^ "長谷川 健太監督 契約満了のお知らせ" [Announcement of the expiration of Head Coach Kenta Hasegawa's contract]. Nagoya-Grampus.jp. Nagoya Grampus. 12 November 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
- ^ "Mihailo Petrovic 監督 就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of the appointment of Mihailo Petrovic as first team Head Coach]. Nagoya-Grampus.jp. Nagoya Grampus. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "秋葉 忠宏監督 2025 シーズン限りで退任のお知らせ" [Manager Tadahiro Akiba to retire at the end of the 2025 season]. S-Pulse.co.jp. Shimizu S-Pulse. 29 November 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "吉田 孝行 監督 就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of the appointment of Takayuki Yoshida as manager]. S-Pulse.co.jp. Shimizu S-Pulse. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "森直樹監督 退任およびフットボールダイレクター就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of Manager Naoki Mori's Retirement and Appointment as Football Director]. Mito-HollyHock.net. Mito HollyHock. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "樹森大介氏 トップチーム監督就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of Daisuke Kimori's appointment as top team manager]. Mito-HollyHock.net. Mito HollyHock. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "吉田孝行監督 退任のお知らせ" [Announcement of Director Takayuki Yoshida's Retirement]. Vissel-Kobe.co.jp. Vissel Kobe. 30 November 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "Vissel Kobe appoint Skibbe to replace J-League winner Yoshida". The Straits Times. 14 December 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
- ^ "ミヒャエル・スキッベ 監督 退任のお知らせ" [Michael Skibbe resigns as head coach]. Sanfrecce.co.jp. Sanfrecce Hiroshima. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "バルトシュ・ガウル監督 就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of Bartosch Gaul's appointment as manager]. Sanfrecce.co.jp. Sanfrecce Hiroshima. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
- ^ "ダニエル ポヤトス監督 2025シーズン限りで契約満了のお知らせ" [Daniel Poyatos' contract expires at the end of the 2025 season]. Gamba-Osaka.net. Gamba Osaka. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "イェンス ウィッシング氏 監督就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of Jens Wissing's appointment as manager]. Gamba-Osaka.net. Gamba Osaka. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "「ホームグロウン制度」の導入と「外国籍選手枠」の変更について" [About the introduction of the "homegrown system" and the change of the "foreign player quota"]. JLeague.jp (in Japanese). Japan Professional Football League. 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018.
- ^ "プロサッカー選手の契約、登録および移籍に関する規則" [Rules for contracting, registering and transferring professional soccer players] (PDF). JFA.jp (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. Retrieved 1 March 2022.