KODANSHA and Concacaf Join Forces Bringing together Anime and Football

KODANSHA and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), have announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration featuring the critically acclaimed manga and anime series Blue Lock.

This marks Concacaf’s inaugural partnership with a Japanese Manga (Comic) and Anime (Animated Series), uniting two global passions through a shared spirit of competition, ambition, and teamwork. Through this distinct alliance, fans across the Americas will experience exclusive original content, limited-edition merchandise, and crossover activations that blend the intensity of international football with the storytelling power of Japanese animation. Blue Lock, based on the award-winning manga created by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura, follows the intense journey of Japan’s top strikers as they battle in a high-stakes training program to become the ultimate forward. With themes of ambition, competition, and teamwork, Blue Lock resonates deeply with global football culture, making it the perfect fit for this groundbreaking collaboration.

Launching in mid-2025 and running through 2026 leading up to the World Cup, the multi-phase collaboration will include:

• Special events during key CONCACAF tournaments
• Limited edition BLUE LOCK x CONCACAF merchandise
• Cross-platform campaigns across anime, manga, and football fan communities

Artworks Entertainment, a key licensing and brand strategy partner, is overseeing implementation of the project across the Americas and other key markets.