From School Event to Big Stage

Japanese high school football tourney draws elite talent who go on to play for country

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Japan's national high school football tournament is thriving after more than 100 years, attracting huge crowds, millions watching on TV and breeding future stars, despite professional clubs trying to lure away young talent.

The annual tournament kicked off in December 2024 and is still regarded as the pinnacle of amateur football, with young players dreaming of playing in the final in front of tens of thousands at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

Matches are a massive occasion for the whole school as student cheering squads wave flags, bang drums and roar on their teams in a spectacle of noise and colour.

"All the teams are at a similar level of technical ability so it's about who wants to win the most," said 18-year-old Junpei Fukuda, the leader of Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa High School's cheering squad.

"We want our voices to be the loudest."

Unlike in Europe, where young players are snapped up by professional club academies, high school football in Japan still attracts elite talent.

Many go on to the professional game and play for their country, with current Japan stars such as Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate of Celtic and Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada, all having played high school football.