Introduction — Why 2026 Is a Special Year
2026 is a turning point for J.League. For many years, J.League used a spring-to-autumn season format — starting in spring and finishing in winter. But from late 2026, the league will switch to an autumn-to-spring format, starting in autumn and ending the following spring. This change brings J.League into line with major European leagues and the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) — Asia’s top club competition, similar to the UEFA Champions League in Europe. The new season, called the 2026/27 season, is scheduled to begin in August 2026.
However, this change created a problem. After the 2025 season ended, there would be a gap of about six months before the new season started. To fill that gap, J.League created a special competition called the 100 Year Vision League (Japanese: 百年構想リーグ).
What Is the 100 Year Vision League?
The 100 Year Vision League is a one-time special tournament that runs from 6 February 2026 to 7 June 2026. It was created to bridge the gap between the old and new season formats.
The name comes from J.League’s founding vision, set in 1993: to build 100 professional football clubs across Japan by the year 2092, with each club deeply connected to its local community.
J1 100 Year Vision League — Format and Rules
Clubs and Groups
All 20 J1 clubs take part in this competition. However, it does not use a single league table like a normal season. The 20 clubs are divided into two regional groups: EAST (10 clubs) and WEST (10 clubs). Clubs from the same prefecture are placed in the same group where possible. Clubs based in areas that face heavy snow in February and March were also considered when forming the groups.
Match Format — Group Stage
Each group plays a full home-and-away double round robin within itself. This means every club plays against each of the other 9 clubs in its group twice — once at home and once away. Each club plays 18 matches in the group stage.
Points System — Special Rule
The basic points system applies: 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 for a loss. However, there is one important difference. If a match is level after 90 minutes, the game goes straight to a penalty shootout. The winner of the shootout earns 2 points. The loser earns 1 point. This rule means every match always produces a winner. There are no draws in this tournament.
Playoffs — Deciding the Final Rankings
After the group stage, clubs in the same position from each group face each other in a two-legged playoff (home and away). For example, 1st place in EAST plays 1st place in WEST to decide the champion. 2nd place in EAST plays 2nd place in WEST, and so on, all the way down to 10th vs 10th. This decides the final overall rankings from 1st to 20th place.
The aggregate score over the two legs decides the winner. There is no away goals rule. If the aggregate score is level after two legs, the tie goes to extra time and then a penalty shootout.
The first legs are scheduled for 30–31 May, and the second legs for 6–7 June.
Important Rule: No Relegation
In this tournament, no club will be relegated (sent down) to J2 — the second tier of Japanese football — based on their final position. This is very different from a normal J1 season, where the bottom clubs are relegated at the end of the year. Because the 100 Year Vision League is a special transitional event, its results do not affect promotion or relegation.
Every club can compete freely, without fear of dropping down a division.
The Main Prize: A Spot in Asia’s Top Club Competition
Even without relegation, this competition matters greatly. The winner earns a place in the 2026/27 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) — Asia’s top club competition, comparable to the UEFA Champions League in Europe.
Kashima Antlers, the 2025 J1 champions, and Kashiwa Reysol, the runners-up, have already qualified for the ACLE. The 100 Year Vision League winner will join them as Japan’s third representative in Asia.
Prize Money
The tournament also offers significant prize money.
- Champion: ¥150,000,000 (approx. $943,000 USD)
- Runner-up: ¥60,000,000 (approx. $377,000 USD)
- 3rd place: ¥30,000,000 (approx. $189,000 USD)
- Group stage bonus: ¥2,000,000 (approx. $12,600 USD) per point earned
(All USD figures are approximate, based on an exchange rate of ¥159 = $1 USD as of April 2026.)
J2 & J3 100 Year Vision League — Format and Rules
Clubs from J2 (the second division) and J3 (the third division) also take part in their own version of this special competition. This is an unusual format: all 40 clubs from J2 and J3 compete together in one combined tournament — 22 clubs from J2 and 18 from J3.
The 40 clubs are split into four groups of 10: East A, East B, West A, and West B. The match format and points system follow the same rules as the J1 competition. After the group stage, clubs in matching positions play off against each other to determine the final rankings. As with the J1 competition, there is no relegation based on results in this tournament. J2 and J3 clubs compete on the same stage.
The 2026/27 Season — A New Era Begins
After the 100 Year Vision League ends, J.League steps into a new era. The 2026/27 season, opening in August 2026, will be the first official season under the new autumn-to-spring calendar. From this point on, every J.League season will run from August to May of the following year — a schedule that fans of European football will find familiar.
You can follow live fixtures and standings for the 100 Year Vision League on J.League’s official English website at jleague.co.
Quick Summary Table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Competition Name | Meiji Yasuda J1 100 Year Vision League |
| Dates | 6 February 2026 – 7 June 2026 |
| Clubs | All 20 J1 clubs |
| Groups | EAST (10 clubs) / WEST (10 clubs) |
| Format | Group stage (double round robin) + playoffs |
| Relegation | None |
| Top Prize | AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 spot + ¥150,000,000 (approx. $943,000 USD) |
| Next Step | August 2026: 2026/27 season begins (autumn-to-spring format) |
The year 2026 is the biggest turning point in J.League’s 30+ year history. The 100 Year Vision League marks the start of that change, and football fans around the world are paying attention.