10 Sports Anime Including Blue Lock to Watch During the World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of teamwork, rivalries, perseverance, and unforgettable moments across global stages, not just a football tournament. With the FIFA World Cup dominating screens worldwide, Crunchyroll is recommending a lineup of sports anime for fans who want their competitive fix between matches.

The streaming service’s curated picks span soccer, volleyball, basketball, boxing, and figure skating, pairing the World Cup’s football rivalries with anime built on the same themes. This listicle focuses on football titles given the World Cup context, but it also includes standout entries from other sports to show how the genre’s storytelling translates across disciplines.

1. Blue Lock

MAL: 8.1 | IMDb: 8.1

Blue Lock follows Yoichi Isagi, one of the 300 young strikers selected for a brutal soccer training program designed to forge Japan’s best striker for international matches. Rather than emphasizing football’s traditional team-first philosophy, Blue Lock places individual ambition and ego at the center of its narrative.

This unconventional approach gives the series a distinct identity among sports anime.  Its tournament-style format and constant high-intensity matches make it one of the best watches during the World Cup season.

2. Haikyu!!

MAL: 8.43 | IMDb: 8.7

Haikyu!! transforms high school volleyball into one of anime’s most exhilarating competitive experiences. The anime follows Shoyo Hinata, who dreams of becoming a top volleyball player despite his short stature. Its fast-paced rallies, tactical depth, and emphasis on teamwork mirror many of football’s defining qualities, making it a good recommendation for World Cup audiences.

3. Kuroko's Basketball

MAL: 8.04 | IMDb: 8.2

Kuroko's Basketball amplifies high-school basketball into near-superhuman territory while still rooting its drama in teamwork and rivalry. The anime follows a duo of seemingly invisible playmaker Tetsuya Kuroko and newcomer Taiga Kagami as they challenge Japan’s legendary ‘Generation of Miracles.’ Its high-stakes tournament structure mirrors the tense dynamics fans are already watching in the World Cup 2026.

4. Slam Dunk

MAL: 8.56 | IMDb: 8.7

A genre cornerstone, Slam Dunk follows delinquent Hanamichi Sakuragi as he joins his high school basketball team to impress a girl and unexpectedly discovers a genuine passion for the sport. The anime’s blend of comedy, realistic gameplay, and character-driven narrative helped define the modern sports anime template still used today.

5. Eyeshield 21

MAL: 7.91 | IMDb: 7.5

American football takes center stage in Eyeshield 21, where timid student Sena Kobayakawa discovers that years of running errands have made him an exceptional sprinter. The focus on American football makes it an immediate recommendation for the World Cup 2026, since the U.S. is co-hosting the tournament.

Sena’s transformation into the mysterious ‘Eyeshield 21’ combines underdog storytelling with strategic gameplay and high-energy matches. Like the World Cup, every match demands preparation, teamwork, and resilience under pressure in Eyeshield 21.

6. Yuri!!! on Ice

MAL: 7.90 | IMDb: 8.2

Yuri!!! on Ice follows figure skater Yuri Katsuki as he attempts a comeback in the Figure Skating Grand Prix under the guidance of his idol-turned-coach, Victor Nikiforov. The series stands out for its detailed skating choreography, which professional skaters, including Johnny Weir, Ryuichi Kihara, and Evgenia Medvedeva, have praised.

The anime’s focus on the personal and psychological struggles of skaters and their ambitions is also significant to understanding how athletes tackle expectations and pressure while competing at global stages.

7. The Prince of Tennis II

MAL: 7.85 | IMDb: 7.1

Another significant Crunchyroll recommendation is The Prince of Tennis II, where elite players compete at the U-17 World Cup level after years of fierce domestic rivalries. Packed with intense one-on-one battles and tactical mind games, the franchise captures the prestige of representing one’s country on the international stage. Even though it doesn’t focus on football, its thematic similarities make it fitting during the FIFA World Cup season.

8. MF Ghost

MAL: 7.56 | IMDb: 7.4

Formula-style racing replaces traditional sports disciplines in MF Ghost. Set in a future society where autonomous electric vehicles dominate everyday roads, the world’s fastest human drivers compete in the MFG championship in Japan.

The series combines high-speed action with strategic racing decisions and a compelling mystery surrounding protagonist Kanata Rivington, who returns from Britain to take part in the championship. Its emphasis on sci-fi themes and racing makes it an excellent sports anime suggestion for motorsport fans.

9. Offside

MAL: 7.11| IMDb: NA

A lesser-known football-focused anime suggestion is Offside. The Ashi Productions’ anime follows Goro as he joins Kawasaki High School’s soccer team and learns that talent alone isn’t enough to achieve success. The series emphasizes teamwork, rivalry, and gradual improvement over flashy superpowers, making it a grounded companion piece to Blue Lock for viewers looking for a more traditional football story.

10. Shoot! Goal to the Future

MAL: 5.70 | IMDb: 5.8

Shoot! Goal to the Future centers on former national champion Atsushi Kamiya, who returns as coach to revive struggling high school football and reignite star player Hideto Tsuji’s passion for the sport. While its reception has been mixed compared to other soccer anime, its focus on rebuilding confidence, leadership, and chasing redemption echoes many of the comeback stories that define every FIFA World Cup.

These 10 titles cover the breadth of what sports anime can offer, from Blue Lock’s individualist take on soccer to Yuri!!! on Ice’s grounded slice-of-life narrative, giving World Cup viewers plenty to watch between matches. Other sports anime, including the classic Captain Tsubasa and Ao Ashi, also deserve attention during the FIFA season. Nonetheless, Crunchyroll’s sports anime library makes clear that the appeal of sports, rivalry, and the pursuit of victory, translates just as well in anime as it does on the field.