SportsTalk October 18 According to “Nikkan Sports”, after several months of deliberation and discussion, the J-League is expected to change to a New Year’s Eve format starting from the 2026-27 season, in line with mainstream Europe. League and AFC Champions League.
As for the J-League’s New Year’s Eve competition reform, only 5 of the 60 professional clubs are opposed to it because some cities in northern Japan will There was heavy snow, and the local team was worried that after changing to the New Year’s Eve competition format, the stadium would be unsuitable for competition in winter because of the snow. However, there are solutions to this problem, such as extending the winter break, raising funds to build a stadium roof, temporarily adjusting the schedule, and issuing winter subsidies.
The most discussed J-League New Year’s Eve reform plan is that after the 2026 World Cup, starting from the 2026-27 season, the J-League will The league will start in early August and end at the end of May the following year. In the three seasons from 2027-28 to 2029-30, the J-League will open in mid-July and close in early June of the following year. In the World Cup year, the 2030-31 season will have the same opening and closing times as the 2026-27 season, and the cycle will follow.
It is expected that the J-League competition system reform will take no longer than 2026, and the J-League will officially make a decision on December 19 this year. It is worth mentioning that this season’s AFC Champions League has been changed to a New Year format.
