Competition Overview

Organizer

Japan Football Association (JFA) Japan Professional Football League (J.LEAGUE)

Special Sponsor

YAMAZAKI-BISCUITS Co., Ltd.

Competition Format

All 20 J1 clubs, 20 J2 clubs, and 20 J3 clubs will participate.

1ST ROUND

A total of 58 clubs will be divided into six groups and compete in a single-elimination knockout format. The participating clubs are:
  • 18 J1 clubs
  • 20 J2 clubs
  • 20 J3 clubs
Of the six clubs participating in AFC club competitions—the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 and AFC Champions League Two 2026/27—Kashima Antlers, Vissel Kobe, FC Machida Zelvia, Kashiwa Reysol, Gamba Osaka, and Kyoto Sanga F.C., the two clubs with the highest combined total of finishing positions based on their positions in the 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE and the MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE, Kashima Antlers and Vissel Kobe, will be exempt from the 1ST ROUND.
The remaining four AFC club competition participants, ranked 3rd through 6th by the combined total of their positions in the 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE and the MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE—FC Machida Zelvia, Kashiwa Reysol, Gamba Osaka, and Kyoto Sanga F.C.—will enter the competition in the fourth round of the 1ST ROUND.
These four clubs will play each other as follows:
  • 3rd-ranked club vs. 6th-ranked club
  • 4th-ranked club vs. 5th-ranked club
The six group winners and the two highest-ranked AFC club competition participants, Kashima Antlers and Vissel Kobe, will advance to the PRIME ROUND.

1ST ROUND Bracket

The 1ST ROUND pairings are determined based on the final standings of the J1 League, J2 League, J3 League, and Japan Football League (JFL) in the 2025 season.

PRIME ROUND

The PRIME ROUND will be contested in a knockout format by:
  • The six clubs that advance from the 1ST ROUND
  • The two highest-ranked AFC club competition participants based on the combined total of their positions in the 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE and the MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE: Kashima Antlers and Vissel Kobe
The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played over two legs on a home-and-away basis.
The final will be played as a single match at a neutral venue.
The PRIME ROUND draw will be conducted after the conclusion of the 1ST ROUND.

Match Dates

1ST ROUND

52 matches in total

1st Round:

Wednesday, September 2 / Wednesday, September 9

2nd Round:

Tuesday, September 29

3rd Round:

Wednesday, October 14

4th Round:

Saturday, October 3 or Sunday, October 4 / Wednesday, October 28

For the fourth round, matches involving the four clubs participating in AFC club competitions will be held on Saturday, October 3 or Sunday, October 4. All other fourth-round matches will be held on Wednesday, October 28.

PRIME ROUND

13 matches in total

Quarter-finals

First leg:

Wednesday, November 11

Second leg:

Sunday, November 15

Semi-finals

First leg:

Wednesday, March 24

Second leg:

Sunday, March 28

  • Final

    To be determined

Venues

1ST ROUND

In principle, each match will be played at the home venue of the club from the lower division.
If both clubs belong to the same division, the match will be played at the home venue of the club that finished lower in the 2025 league standings.
However, the fourth-round matches between the four AFC club competition participants ranked 3rd through 6th by the combined total of their positions in the 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE and the MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE will be played at the home venues of the higher-ranked clubs, FC Machida Zelvia and Kashiwa Reysol.

PRIME ROUND

In principle, matches will be played at each club’s home stadium.
The final will be held at a neutral venue.

Match Format and Determination of Winners

1ST ROUND

Each match consists of 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves. If the score is level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, divided into two 15-minute periods. If the score remains level after extra time, the winner will be determined by a penalty shoot-out. Each team will take five penalties. If the winner is still not determined, the shoot-out will continue with one penalty per team until a winner is decided.

PRIME ROUND

  • Quarter-finals and Semi-finals

    Home-and-away format Each match consists of 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves. If the score is level at the end of a match, the match ends in a draw. The winner of each round will be the club with the greater number of wins across the two legs. If both clubs have the same number of wins, the winner will be determined in the following order:
    1. Aggregate goal difference over the two matches
    2. Thirty minutes of extra time, divided into two 15-minute periods, following the second leg
    3. Penalty shoot-out
    In the penalty shoot-out, each team will take five penalties. If the winner is still not determined, the shoot-out will continue with one penalty per team until a winner is decided.

  • Final

    Single-match format The final consists of 90 minutes, divided into two 45-minute halves. If the score is level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, divided into two 15-minute periods. If the score remains level after extra time, the winner will be determined by a penalty shoot-out. Each team will take five penalties. If the winner is still not determined, the shoot-out will continue with one penalty per team until a winner is decided.

Match Squad

  • A maximum of 20 players may be registered for each match.
    • Up to five foreign players may be included.
    • Players holding the nationality of a country designated separately by J.LEAGUE as a “J.LEAGUE Partner Nation” are not treated as foreign players.

Player Substitutions

  • Each team may make up to five substitutions during a match. Substitutions may be made on a maximum of three occasions, excluding half-time. If extra time is played:
    • Each team may make up to six substitutions.
    • Substitutions may be made on a maximum of four occasions.
    • Half-time, the period before the start of extra time, and half-time during extra time are not counted as substitution opportunities.

Concussion Substitutions

  • General Principles

    • Each team may use a maximum of one concussion substitution per match.
    • A concussion substitution may be made regardless of the number of substitutions already used.

  • Substitution Opportunities

    • A concussion substitution is treated separately from the limit on regular substitution opportunities.
    • If a team makes a concussion substitution at the same time as a regular substitution, it will be counted as one regular substitution opportunity.
    • If a team makes a concussion substitution, the opposing team will be permitted one additional substitution and one additional substitution opportunity, separate from its regular substitutions.

Registration Deadline for Player Eligibility

  • Friday, March 19, 2027

Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

  • VAR will be used in all 13 PRIME ROUND matches.

Awards

  • Champions

    • Prize money: JPY 150 million
    • Levain Cup
    • J.LEAGUE Cup
    • Medals

  • Runners-up

    • Prize money: JPY 50 million
    • Shield
    • Medals

  • Third Place

    • Prize money: JPY 20 million per club
    • Shield