2024 J1 League
32nd season of the J1 League
Football league season
| Season | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 23 February – 8 December 2024 |
| Matches played | 49 |
| Goals scored | 132 (2.69 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ryo Germain (5 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Vissel Kobe 6–1 Consadole Sapporo (30 March 2024) |
| Biggest away win | Nagoya Grampus 0–3 Kashima Antlers (23 February 2024) |
| Highest scoring | Kawasaki Frontale 4–5 Jubilo Iwata (1 March 2024) |
| Highest attendance | 53,026 |
| Lowest attendance | 6,596 |
| Total attendance | 987,443 |
| Average attendance | 20,152 |
← 2023 2025 → All statistics correct as of 30 March 2024[1]. | |
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.
Vissel Kobe are the defending champions, having won their first ever league title with one match to spare in the previous season.[2]
Overview
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]
Changes from the previous season
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Yokohama FC, being the sole team going down to the second division, after just one season in the J1 League, have been replaced by three teams promoted from the 2023 J2 League.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 to 2024 J1 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]
Schedule
The league and match format was announced on 19 December 2023. The league is scheduled to begin on 23 February and end on 8 December; it will be played in a double round-robin format with 38 total fixtures.[9]
Participating clubs
Greater Tokyo Area†
Júbilo
Iwata
Iwata
Keihanshin‡
Sagan
Tosu
Tosu
Sanfrecce
Hiroshima
Hiroshima
class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 2024 J1 League teams| class=notpageimage| 2024 J1 League teams in Keihanshin |  Kashima Antlers class=notpageimage| 2024 J1 League teams in Greater Tokyo Area
|
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 |
Foreign players
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]
League table
| Pos | Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machida Zelvia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 13 | Qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite league stage |
| 2 | Cerezo Osaka | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 11 | |
| 3 | Vissel Kobe | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 10 | Qualification for the AFC Champions League 2 group stage |
| 4 | Kashima Antlers | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 10 | |
| 5 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 9 | |
| 6 | Gamba Osaka | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 8 | |
| 7 | Albirex Niigata | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 8 | |
| 8 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 | |
| 9 | Kashiwa Reysol | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | |
| 10 | Kawasaki Frontale | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 6 | |
| 11 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | |
| 12 | Nagoya Grampus | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 6 | |
| 13 | Kyoto Sanga | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 5 | |
| 14 | Shonan Bellmare | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 5 | |
| 15 | FC Tokyo | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 5 | |
| 16 | Avispa Fukuoka | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 5 | |
| 17 | Tokyo Verdy | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 3 | |
| 18 | Júbilo Iwata | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 3 | Relegation to the J2 League |
| 19 | Sagan Tosu | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 3 | |
| 20 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 1 |
Updated to match(es) played on 30 March 2024. Source: J1 League, J.League Data Site
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.
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.
Results
| Home \ Away | ANI | AFU | COS | GOS | HCS | JIW | KSA | KSR | KWF | KYS | MCZ | NGR | STO | SHI | SHB | TOK | TOV | URD | VKO | YFM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albirex Niigata | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Avispa Fukuoka | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Cerezo Osaka | — | a | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | |||||||||||||||
| Gamba Osaka | 1–0 | a | — | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | — | 1–2 | 0–1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Júbilo Iwata | — | 0–1 | 0–2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Kashima Antlers | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Kashiwa Reysol | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Kawasaki Frontale | 4–5 | — | 0–1 | 3–0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Kyoto Sanga | — | 1–2 | 2–3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Machida Zelvia | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 3–1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Nagoya Grampus | 0–3 | 0–1 | — | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Sagan Tosu | 1–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | — | ||||||||||||||||
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 1–1 | 4–0 | — | 2–0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Shonan Bellmare | 1–2 | — | 4–4 | |||||||||||||||||
| FC Tokyo | 1–1 | — | a | 1–2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Tokyo Verdy | 2–2 | 2–2 | a | — | 1–2 | |||||||||||||||
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Vissel Kobe | 6–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | — | ||||||||||||||||
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 0–1 | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 30 March 2024. Source: J1 League
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Season statistics
Top scorers
- As of 30 March 2024
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[18] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryo Germain | Júbilo Iwata | 5 |
| 2 | Ryotaro Araki | FC Tokyo | 4 |
| 3 |  Erison | Kawasaki Frontale | 3 |
| Anderson Lopes | Yokohama F. Marinos | ||
| Akito Suzuki | Shonan Bellmare | ||
| Takashi Usami | Gamba Osaka | ||
| Taisei Miyashiro | Vissel Kobe | ||
| Yuki Ohashi | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
Top assists
- As of 30 March 2024
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists[19] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ko Matsubara | Júbilo Iwata | 3 |
| 2 | Naomichi Ueda | Kashima Antlers | 2 |
Awards
See also
References
- ^ "J. League Data Site". J.League. Retrieved 26 February 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リーグ公式サイト（J.LEAGUE.jp）". Ｊリーグ.jp（日本プロサッカーリーグ） (in Japanese). 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.
- ^ "Goals". J.League. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- ^ "Assists". J.League. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
External links
- English official website
- Japanese official website
- J.League Data Site (in English)
- J.League Data Site (in Japanese)
