JFA and SCO Launch Real-World Blue Lock-inspired FUTURE CAMP

The Japan Football Association (JFA) and SCO Group Co., Ltd. announced the launch of Blue Lock-inspired FUTURE CAMP on May 11, 2026. The JFA x SCO GROUP “FUTURE CAMP”  is JFA’s new international scouting initiative targeting youth players of Japanese heritage living abroad.

The partnership is positioning the FUTURE CAMP project as an “overseas version of the National Training Center,” aiming to find ideal players suited for Japan’s national team and taking part in both domestic and international leagues.

“Football is becoming borderless, and the era when Japanese players develop solely within Japan is over,” said JFA president and former Japan national team captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, in a press release. The first FUTURE CAMP will take place in Irvine, California, from Aug 3 to 6, 2026.

What is FUTURE CAMP, and How Does Blue Lock Tie In?

FUTURE CAMP’s ultimate goal is to strengthen Japan’s football ecosystem by deconstructing the geographic limitations. According to Miyamoto, the campaign aims to engage young players across the globe and support their growth within the Japanese national football framework.

The three-day camp will assess U-16 (born Jan 1, 2010 - Dec 31, 2011) players based on their football history, tactics, decision-making, and athletic abilities. The inaugural camp will select around 25 players, comprising 22 field players, and two to four goalkeepers.

The selected players will be trained and coached by JFA coaches. FUTURE CAMP’s vision is not only to organize a training camp, but to introduce the Japanese national football structure to youth from Japanese lineage (including possible future Japan nationality holders).

As per JFA’s press release, the project’s morale driver is Blue Lock’s central themes of individual awakening and inspiration to become the best footballer (striker) in the world. “A real-life Blue Lock is about to begin,” emphasized Muneyuki Kaneshiro, the author of  Blue Lock manga, in the press release.

Kaneshiro’s Blue Lock manga centers on a fictional JFA project for creating a skilled striker through rigorous physical and psychological evaluation. Blue Lock’s plot drifts from traditional sports narrative, where either individual talent or physical toil makes the protagonist overcome limitations.

Instead, the manga shows the importance of decision-making, calmness, and game manipulation, along with emphasizing that the best football or athletic talent is created through the right routine and coaching. For JFA x SCO GROUP “FUTURE CAMP,” Blue Lock is not only for branding; it is also meant to deliver the message and goal behind this initiative.

The JFA plans to expand FUTURE CAMP to Europe, Asia, and other regions in subsequent editions. The convergence of real sports facilities and anime IP at this scale is rare, and it reflects Blue Lock’s influence within Japan's football infrastructure.