J.League Cup facts for kids
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| Founded | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Region | Japan |
| Number of teams | 60 |
| Current champions | Avispa Fukuoka (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Kashima Antlers (6 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | Fuji TV, SKY PerfecTV! (live matches) |
The J.League Cup (also known as the J.League YBC Levain Cup) is a super exciting football (soccer) competition in Japan. It's organized by the J.League, which is Japan's main professional football league for men.
This cup has been around since 1992 and is sponsored by Yamazaki Biscuits (YBC). That's why it's also called the Levain Cup, named after one of YBC's products! Before 2016, it was known as the Nabisco Cup.
Think of the J.League Cup as Japan's version of league cups in other countries, like the Football League Cup in England. It's different from the Emperor's Cup, which includes teams from all different football divisions in Japan. Before this cup started, there was an older competition called the Japan Soccer League Cup that began in 1976.
From 2007 to 2023, the team that won the J.League Cup got to play in another special match called the J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship. They would play against the winners of the Copa Sudamericana, a big tournament in South America. This special match was stopped in 2023.
Contents
How the J.League Cup Works
The way the J.League Cup is played can change almost every year. This often depends on when big international matches like the Olympic Games or the World Cup are happening.
Early Years: 1992 to 1998
In the very first year, 1992, ten founding clubs of the J.League played. It was like a warm-up for the first league season.
- Teams played each other once in a group.
- There were no draws; if a game was tied, they used extra time and then a penalty shootout to decide a winner.
- The top four teams then played in a knockout stage, where losing meant you were out!
In 1993, more teams joined, and they were split into two groups. The best teams from each group moved on to the knockout stage.
In 1994, there was no group stage at all. It was just knockout matches from the start.
The competition wasn't played in 1995.
In 1996, 16 J.League teams played. They were divided into two groups, and teams played each other twice (home and away). The top two teams from each group went to the knockout stage.
In 1997 and 1998, 20 teams took part. They were split into groups, and the best teams moved on to the knockout rounds.
J1 and J2 Teams: 1999 to 2001
From 1999 to 2001, all the teams from both the J1 and J2 leagues played in the cup. There was no group stage during these years. Most matches were played over two games (home and away), except for the final match, which was a single game.
Only J1 Teams: 2002 to 2017
From 2002 onwards, the tournament mostly included only teams from the J1 league.
- In 2002, all 16 J1 teams played in groups, and the top two from each group went to the knockout stage.
- In some years, like 2003 and 2005, teams that were playing in the AFC Champions League (another big Asian competition) got a special pass and didn't have to play in the group stage. They joined later in the knockout rounds.
- The rules for extra time and how away goals counted sometimes changed during these years.
- The
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- In 2011, the format had to be changed because of the big 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Instead of group stages, it was just knockout matches.
J1 and J2 Teams Again: 2018 to 2023
From 2018 to 2023, teams from both J1 and J2 leagues could play again. This included J1 teams and some J2 teams that had been relegated from J1 the year before. The group stage format was used until 2023.
All J.League Clubs: 2024 Onwards
Starting in 2024, all 60 J.League clubs (from J1, J2, and J3) will play in the J.League Cup! It will be a knockout tournament, meaning if you lose, you're out.
For the 2024 season, three Japanese clubs that played in the 2023–24 AFC Champions League knockout stage (like Kawasaki Frontale) get a special pass straight to the later knockout rounds. The other 57 clubs start in earlier rounds, playing in groups of 5 or 6 teams. The winners of these groups then play in a "play-off" round. The winners of the play-off round join the three special clubs in the final knockout stage.
Awesome Prizes for Winners
Winning the J.League Cup comes with some great rewards!
- Champions: They get the J.League Cup trophy, the YBC Levain Cup trophy, special champion medals, and 150 million yen (that's a lot of money!).
- Runners-up: The team that comes in second gets a special J.League Commemorative Plaque, runner-up medals, and 50 million yen.
- 3rd Place (2 clubs): The two teams that reach the semi-finals but don't make it to the final each get a J.League Commemorative Plaque and 20 million yen.
Who Won the Finals?
Here's a look at the teams that have won the J.League Cup over the years:
| Year | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Verdy Kawasaki | 1–0 | Shimizu S-Pulse | National Stadium |
| 1993 | Verdy Kawasaki | 2–1 | Shimizu S-Pulse | National Stadium |
| 1994 | Verdy Kawasaki | 2–0 | Júbilo Iwata | Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium |
| 1995 | Not played | |||
| 1996 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 3–3 (aet) (5–4 p) |
Verdy Kawasaki | National Stadium |
| 1997 | Kashima Antlers | 7–2 agg. 2–1 5–1 |
Júbilo Iwata | First leg: Yamaha Stadium Second leg: Kashima Soccer Stadium |
| 1998 | Júbilo Iwata | 4–0 | JEF United Ichihara | National Stadium |
| 1999 | Kashiwa Reysol | 2–2 (aet) (5–4 p) |
Kashima Antlers | National Stadium |
| 2000 | Kashima Antlers | 2–0 | Kawasaki Frontale | National Stadium |
| 2001 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 0–0 (aet) (3–1 p) |
Júbilo Iwata | National Stadium |
| 2002 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Urawa Red Diamonds | National Stadium |
| 2003 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 4–0 | Kashima Antlers | National Stadium |
| 2004 | FC Tokyo | 0–0 (aet) (4–2 p) |
Urawa Red Diamonds | National Stadium |
| 2005 | JEF United Chiba | 0–0 (aet) (5–4 p) |
Gamba Osaka | National Stadium |
| 2006 | JEF United Chiba | 2–0 | Kashima Antlers | National Stadium |
| 2007 | Gamba Osaka | 1–0 | Kawasaki Frontale | National Stadium |
| 2008 | Oita Trinita | 2–0 | Shimizu S-Pulse | National Stadium |
| 2009 | FC Tokyo | 2–0 | Kawasaki Frontale | National Stadium |
| 2010 | Júbilo Iwata | 5–3 (aet) | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | National Stadium |
| 2011 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 (aet) | Urawa Red Diamonds | National Stadium |
| 2012 | Kashima Antlers | 2–1 (aet) | Shimizu S-Pulse | National Stadium |
| 2013 | Kashiwa Reysol | 1–0 | Urawa Red Diamonds | National Stadium |
| 2014 | Gamba Osaka | 3–2 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 2015 | Kashima Antlers | 3–0 | Gamba Osaka | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 2016 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1–1 (aet) (5–4 p) |
Gamba Osaka | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 2017 | Cerezo Osaka | 2–0 | Kawasaki Frontale | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 2018 | Shonan Bellmare | 1–0 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 2019 | Kawasaki Frontale | 3–3 (aet) (5–4 p) |
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 2020 | FC Tokyo | 2–1 | Kashiwa Reysol | National Stadium |
| 2021 | Nagoya Grampus | 2–0 | Cerezo Osaka | Saitama Stadium 2002 |
| 2022 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2–1 | Cerezo Osaka | National Stadium |
| 2023 | Avispa Fukuoka | 2–1 | Urawa Red Diamonds | National Stadium |
| 2024 | National Stadium | |||
Top Teams in the Cup
This table shows which teams have won the J.League Cup the most times and which ones have been runners-up.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons | Runners-up seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kashima Antlers |
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1997, 2000, 2002, 2011, 2012, 2015 | 1999, 2003, 2006 |
| Tokyo Verdy |
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1992, 1993, 1994 | 1996 |
| FC Tokyo |
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2004, 2009, 2020 | |
| Urawa Red Diamonds |
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2003, 2016 | 2002, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2023 |
| Júbilo Iwata |
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1998, 2010 | 1994, 1997, 2001 |
| Gamba Osaka |
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2007, 2014 | 2005, 2015, 2016 |
| JEF United Chiba |
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2005, 2006 | 1998 |
| Kashiwa Reysol |
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1999, 2013 | 2020 |
| Shimizu S-Pulse |
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1996 | 1992, 1993, 2008, 2012 |
| Kawasaki Frontale |
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2019 | 2000, 2007, 2009, 2017 |
| Cerezo Osaka |
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2017 | 2021, 2022 |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
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2022 | 2010, 2014 |
| Yokohama F. Marinos |
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2001 | 2018 |
| Oita Trinita |
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2008 | |
| Shonan Bellmare |
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2018 | |
| Nagoya Grampus |
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2021 | |
| Avispa Fukuoka |
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2023 | |
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo |
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2019 |
Most Valuable Players (MVPs)
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award goes to the player who performs best in the J.League Cup final.
New Hero Award
The New Hero Award is given to a young player (under 23 years old) who made the biggest impact in the competition. Football journalists vote for the winner.
| Year | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Hiroshi Nanami | Júbilo Iwata |
| Toshihide Saito | Shimizu S-Pulse | |
| 1997 | Atsuhiro Miura | Yokohama Flügels |
| 1998 | Naohiro Takahara | Júbilo Iwata |
| 1999 | Yukihiko Sato | FC Tokyo |
| 2000 | Takayuki Suzuki | Kashima Antlers |
| 2001 | Hitoshi Sogahata | Kashima Antlers |
| 2002 | Keisuke Tsuboi | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 2003 | Tatsuya Tanaka | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 2004 | Makoto Hasebe | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 2005 | Yuki Abe | JEF United Chiba |
| 2006 | Hiroyuki Taniguchi | Kawasaki Frontale |
| 2007 | Michihiro Yasuda | Gamba Osaka |
| 2008 | Mu Kanazaki | Oita Trinita |
| 2009 | Takuji Yonemoto | FC Tokyo |
| 2010 | Yojiro Takahagi | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| 2011 | Genki Haraguchi | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 2012 | Hideki Ishige | Shimizu S-Pulse |
| 2013 | Manabu Saitō | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| 2014 | Takashi Usami | Gamba Osaka |
| 2015 | Shuhei Akasaki | Kashima Antlers |
| 2016 | Yosuke Ideguchi | Gamba Osaka |
| 2017 | Takuma Nishimura | Vegalta Sendai |
| 2018 | Keita Endo | Yokohama F. Marinos |
| 2019 | Keito Nakamura | Gamba Osaka |
| 2020 | Ayumu Seko | Cerezo Osaka |
| 2021 | Zion Suzuki | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 2022 | Sota Kitano | Cerezo Osaka |
Where to Watch the Games
In Japan, you can watch all the J.League Cup matches live on Abema, Fuji TV, and SKY PerfecTV!.
Outside Japan, you can sometimes watch live matches on the official J.League International YouTube channel (except in Thailand, where Siam Sport broadcasts them). Starting in 2024, other TV networks like Rajawali Televisi in Indonesia, Record and ESPN Brazil in Brazil, and TV3 in Malaysia will also show the games live.
See also
In Spanish: Copa J. League para niños
- Sport in Japan
- Football in Japan
- Japan Football Association (JFA)
