J.League has announced the groupings and competition period for the newly established 2026/27 U-21 J.League, which aims to develop and strengthen players in the post-youth (ages 19 to 21) and surrounding age groups. Details of the U-21 J.League schedule are scheduled to be announced in mid-July for matches to be held in 2026 and in late December for matches to be held in 2027.
■ U-21 J.League Groupings
EAST (6 clubs): Urawa Reds, FC Tokyo, Tokyo Verdy, Kawasaki Frontale, Shimizu S-Pulse, Jubilo Iwata
WEST (5 clubs): Nagoya Grampus, Gamba Osaka, Vissel Kobe, Fagiano Okayama, V-Varen Nagasaki
■ U-21 J.League Round Structure
The U-21 J.League will consist of the following three rounds:
・East-West League Round: Teams will play each other twice, once at home and once away, within their respective groups (EAST and WEST).
・Inter-Group Round: Teams from different groups will play each other once.
・Play-off Round: Based on the results of the East-West League Round and Inter-Group Round, the top two teams from each group will compete in a four-team tournament. Teams finishing third or lower will play home-and-away matches against the team finishing in the same position in the other group to determine their final standings. The sixth-placed team in the EAST group will not participate in the Play-off Round.
■ U-21 J.League Competition Period
・Matchweek 1: 22, 23 or 24 August 2026
・Play-off Round final and third-place match: Around the third week of April 2027
※Details of the schedule, including match venues, are scheduled to be announced in mid-July for matches to be held in 2026 and in late December for matches to be held in 2027.
※As a general rule, no matches will be played from late December 2026 to mid-February 2027 due to the winter break.
