The JFA 28th U-15 Japan Futsal Championship is set to kick-off on Saturday 7 January. This year's tournament will be held at Nikkan Arena Tochigi in Tochigi Prefecture for the first time.

Sixteen teams selected from nine regional football associations will be divided into four groups of four teams to compete in a round-robin group stage, with the first-place team from each group advancing to the knock-out stage to decide the best U-15 futsal team in the country.

Last year's tournament, held at Sun Arena, saw host representatives Verdelaco Matsuzaka U-15, Tokyu S Reyes FC, Hokkaido Consadole Asahikawa, and Matsuyama Jyohoku FC advance to the semi-finals. Tokyu S Reyes and Consadole Asahikawa scored five goals each in the semi-finals to advance to the final, where Consadole Asahikawa recorded six goals to beat Tokyu S Reyes 6-1 for their first title.

This year's tournament will not feature the four semi-finalists from the previous year, but will include Hokkaido Consadole Kushiro (Hokkaido 1), Nagaoka JYFC (Hokushinetsu 2/Niigata), PSTC Londrina U-15 (Kanto 1/N Kanagawa), and Fugador Sumida Wings (Kanto 2/Tokyo). Junior high school teams such as Kochi Junior High School (Shikoku/Kochi), runners-up in the 24th edition (2019), and tournament debutant Sapporo Otani Junior High School (Hokkaido 3) will also be aiming to claim the title.

The absence of last year's top teams also shows that the power structure of the futsal scene is changing year by year. Which team will be crowned as the best team in Japan in the U-15 age group? Please stay tuned for the heated battle.

JFA 28th U-15 Japan Futsal Championship

Tournament Dates: Sat. 7 - Mon. 9 January 2023
Venue: Nikkan Arena Tochigi (Tochigi)

Tournament Information