💛 All 20 J.League clubs to get an exclusive Pokémon | OneFootball

The J.League has confirmed that its 60 professional clubs will each have an exclusive Pokémon mascot starting this week. The full allocation will be revealed on July 6 at 6:00 PM Japan time, so for now we’ll have to wait with the trainer’s handbook tucked under our arm.

All three top tiers of Japanese football are part of the initiative. In other words, even the humblest third-division team will have its own official pocket mascot.

The teaser could not have been more direct: a silhouette of Pikachu on X and an “Oh!?” that fooled no one. Then came the confirmation with an unmistakable slogan: “The J.League is evolving”

It’s not a new crush. Back in 2014, there was already a promotional Pikachu card handed out during the Family Join Days, now a highly sought-after collector’s item among those who hunt rare crossovers between sports and cards.

With that precedent, the question that is bound to set Japanese timelines on fire is inevitable: which club gets Charizard, and who has to settle for Magikarp?

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 FREDERIC J. BROWN - AFP or licensors