2024_J1_League
2024 J1 League
32nd season of the J1 League
The 2024 J1 League, also known as the 2024 Meiji Yasuda J1 League (Japanese: 2024 明治安田J1リーグ, Hepburn: 2024 Meiji Yasuda J1 Rīgu) for sponsorship reasons, is the 32nd season of J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. This is the tenth season of the league since its rebrand from J.League Division 1.
| Season | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 23 February – 8 December |
| Matches played | 94 |
| Goals scored | 220 (2.34 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ryo Germain (10 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Vissel Kobe 6–1 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (30 March 2024) |
| Biggest away win | Nagoya Grampus 0–3 Kashima Antlers (23 February 2024) Kyoto Sanga 0–3 Jubilo Iwata (7 April 2024) |
| Highest scoring | Kawasaki Frontale 4–5 Jubilo Iwata (1 March 2024) |
| Longest winning run | 4 matches Machida Zelvia |
| Longest unbeaten run | 9 matches Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| Longest winless run | 8 matches Shonan Bellmare |
| Longest losing run | 5 matches Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo |
| Highest attendance | 53,026 Tokyo Verdy 1–2 Yokohama F. Marinos (25 February 2024)[1] |
| Lowest attendance | 6,254 Avispa Fukuoka 2–2 Júbilo Iwata (20 April 2024)[1] |
| Total attendance | 1,837,488[1] |
| Average attendance | 19,548[1] |
← 2023 2025 →
All statistics correct as of 27 April 2024. | |
Vissel Kobe are the defending champions, having won their first ever league title with one match to spare in the previous season.[2]
For the first time since 2021, the number of the clubs in the league increased from 18 to 20. At the end of season, three clubs will be relegated to the J2 League for the 2025 season, without relegation play-offs between J1 and J2 clubs.[3]
Only one club was relegated to the 2024 J2 League. Due to the re-introduction of 20 clubs league format, Yokohama FC, being the sole team going down to the second division, after just one season in the J1 League, have been replaced by three teams promoted from the 2023 J2 League. The first club promoted was Tokyo-based Machida Zelvia, debuting in the J1 as the J2 champions following a seven-year run in the Japanese second tier.[4][5] Another automatic promotion spot was obtained by Júbilo Iwata, who made a swift comeback after just a single season absence by finishing second, thus marking the return of a team from Shizuoka in the Japanese first division since 2022.[6] The last promotion spot was earned by Tokyo Verdy, returning to the top flight for the first time since 2008 by finishing third in the J2 League and later won the promotion play-offs. This brings back the Tokyo derby between Verdy and FC Tokyo in the J1 for the first time since that season as well as the first season in which three clubs from the capital city are competing at the highest tier of Japanese football system.[7][8]
The league and match format was announced on 19 December 2023. The league began on 23 February and is scheduled to end on 8 December; it is played in a double round-robin format with 38 fixtures in total.[9]
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2024 J1 League teams in Keihanshin |
|
Personnel and kits
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in the table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kashima Antlers |  Daiki Iwamasa[10] |
End of contract | 4 December 2023 | Pre-season |  Ranko Popović[11] |
21 December 2023 |
| Yokohama F. Marinos |  Kevin Muscat[12] |
Resigned | 6 December 2023 | Harry Kewell[13] |
31 December 2023 | |
| Urawa Red Diamonds |  Maciej Skorża[14] |
23 December 2023 |  Per-Mathias Høgmo[15] |
23 December 2023 |
From the 2021 season, there are no limitations on signing foreign players, but clubs can only register up to five of them for a single matchday squad.[16] Players from J.League partner nations (Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Tunisia, Egypt, and Qatar) were exempted from these restrictions.
- Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
- Player's name in italics indicates the player has Japanese nationality in addition to their FIFA nationality, holds the nationality of a J.League partner nation, or is exempt from being treated as a foreign player due to having been born in Japan and being enrolled in, or having graduated from an approved type of school in the country.[17]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cerezo Osaka | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 | Qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite league stage |
| 2 | Machida Zelvia | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 19 | |
| 3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 17 | Qualification for the AFC Champions League 2 group stage |
| 4 | Vissel Kobe | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 17 | |
| 5 | Nagoya Grampus | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 16 | |
| 6 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 15 | |
| 7 | FC Tokyo | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 15 | |
| 8 | Gamba Osaka | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 15 | |
| 9 | Júbilo Iwata | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 13 | |
| 10 | Kashiwa Reysol | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 13 | |
| 11 | Kashima Antlers | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 13 | |
| 12 | Albirex Niigata | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 12 | |
| 13 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 11 | |
| 14 | Avispa Fukuoka | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 11 | |
| 15 | Tokyo Verdy | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 9 | |
| 16 | Kyoto Sanga | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 9 | |
| 17 | Kawasaki Frontale | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 8 | |
| 18 | Shonan Bellmare | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 20 | −6 | 7 | Relegation to the J2 League |
| 19 | Sagan Tosu | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 18 | −7 | 7 | |
| 20 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 20 | −11 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head goals scored; 7) Fewer disciplinary points.
| Home \ Away | ANI | AFU | COS | GOS | HCS | JIW | KSA | KSR | KWF | KYS | MCZ | NGR | STO | SHI | SHB | TOK | TOV | URD | VKO | YFM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albirex Niigata | — | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | ||||||||||||||
| Avispa Fukuoka | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | |||||||||||||
| Cerezo Osaka | — | a | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | |||||||||||||
| Gamba Osaka | 1–0 | a | — | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 1–0 | — | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–1 | |||||||||||||
| Júbilo Iwata | 2–0 | — | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | ||||||||||||||
| Kashima Antlers | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | |||||||||||||||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | |||||||||||||||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 4–5 | — | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | ||||||||||||||
| Kyoto Sanga | 0–1 | 0–3 | — | 1–2 | 2–3 | |||||||||||||||
| Machida Zelvia | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | ||||||||||||||
| Nagoya Grampus | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | — | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||
| Sagan Tosu | 1–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 4–2 | — | 0–0 | ||||||||||||||
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 1–1 | 4–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | |||||||||||||||
| Shonan Bellmare | 1–2 | — | 1–2 | 4–4 | 0–1 | |||||||||||||||
| FC Tokyo | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | a | 2–1 | 1–2 | |||||||||||||
| Tokyo Verdy | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 1–2 | ||||||||||||||
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | — | |||||||||||||||
| Vissel Kobe | 6–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | — | 1–2 | ||||||||||||||
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Top scorers
- As of 27 April 2024
Monthly awards
| Month | Manager of the Month | Monthly MVP | Goal of the Month | Young Player of the Month | References | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Club | Player | Club | Player | Club | Player | Club | ||
| February/March | Go Kuroda |
Machida Zelvia | Yu Hirakawa |
Machida Zelvia | Kaito Taniguchi |
Albirex Niigata | Akito Suzuki |
Shonan Bellmare | [19][20][21][22] |
- "J. League Data Site: 2024 J1 League Attendance". J.League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- "Vissel Kobe win 2023 Meiji Yasuda J1 League title". J.League. 25 November 2023.
- "League Structure and Competition Format from 2024 Season Unify the number of clubs in each category to 20 League Cup changed to a knockout competition with participation of all J1, J2 and J3 clubs". Japan Professional Football League. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- "Machida Zelvia clinches first-ever promotion to J1". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "FC Machida Zelvia cap amazing season with J2 title". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Júbilo Iwata win on final day to earn promotion to J1". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. 12 November 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Tokyo Verdy promoted back to J1 after dramatic play-off final". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "Football: Late draw seals J1 return for Verdy at Shimizu's expense". Mainichi Shimbun. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- "2024明治安田J2リーグ 大会方式および試合方式について". J.League.jp (in Japanese). J.League. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- "岩政 大樹監督 退任のお知らせ" [Notice of retirement of director Daiki Iwamasa]. Antlers.co.jp (in Japanese). Kashima Antlers. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- "ランコ ポポヴィッチ氏 監督就任のお知らせ" [Announcement of appointment of Mr. Ranko Popovic as manager]. Antlers.co.jp (in Japanese). Kashima Antlers. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- "ケヴィン マスカット監督 退任のお知らせ" [Announcement regarding resignation of manager Kevin Muscat]. F-Marinos.com (in Japanese). Yokohama F. Marinos. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- "Yokohama F.Marinos name Harry Kewell as its new manager". F-Marinos.com. Yokohama F. Marinos. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- "AFC Champions League winning Skorża to leave Urawa Reds after season". JLeague.co. Japan Professional Football League. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- "Announcement of appointment of Pair Matthias Hegumo (sic) as coach". Urawa-Reds.co.jp (in Japanese). Urawa Red Diamonds. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- "「ホームグロウン制度」の導入と「外国籍選手枠」の変更について" [About the introduction of the "homegrown system" and the change of the "foreign player quota"]. JLeague.jp (in Japanese). Japan Professional Football League. 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018.
- "プロサッカー選手の契約、登録および移籍に関する規則" [Rules for contracting, registering and transferring professional soccer players] (PDF). JFA.jp (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- "All Positions | Goals | All clubs | MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE | 2024 Player Stats". J.League. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- "Kuroda named Manager of the Month after Zelvia's fast start". J.League. 17 April 2024.
- "Zelvia star Hirakawa earns Konami Monthly MVP for February and March". J.League. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- "Taniguchi's magnificent volley for Albirex wins Goal of the Month for February and March". J.League. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- "Suzuki shines bright for Bellmare to win Young Player of the Month for February and March". J.League. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- English official website
- Japanese official website
- J.League Data Site (in English)
- J.League Data Site (in Japanese)