J.LEAGUE and KONAMI Jointly Held eSports Tournament "eJ.LEAGUE eFootball™ 2026 Season" Avispa Fukuoka Crowned First Champions
Avispa Fukuoka won their first championship in the "eJ.LEAGUE eFootball™ 2026 Season" e-sports tournament, co-hosted by J.LEAGUE and KONAMI. The victorious players, Koki Shigeta and Shumpei Hashiki, earned the right to participate in a world championship. This announcement highlights the spread of e-sports and the continued development of the 'eFootball™' series.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 5, 2026 at 05:02
- 🔍 Collected: May 4, 2026 at 20:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 4, 2026 at 20:43 (12 min after Collected)
J.LEAGUE and KONAMI Jointly Held eSports Tournament "eJ.LEAGUE eFootball™ 2026 Season" Avispa Fukuoka Crowned First Champions
The Japan Professional Football League (hereinafter "J.LEAGUE") and KONAMI Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "KONAMI") announced that Avispa Fukuoka won their first championship at the final tournament of the official e-sports competition "eJ.LEAGUE eFootball™ 2026 Season," which uses "eFootball™" (available for free play on PC, mobile, and home consoles) as its competitive title. The finals were held in Ginza, Tokyo, on May 4th (Monday/Holiday).
The "eJ.LEAGUE eFootball™ 2026 Season" is an official e-sports tournament co-hosted by J.LEAGUE and KONAMI, open to all "eFootball™" users, to determine the top club among all 40 J1 and J2 clubs. The final tournament was a knockout competition among 8 clubs that advanced through tough qualifiers, with one representative player from the Mobile division and one from the PlayStation® division competing against each other. The winning club was decided by the total score.
In the final match, Avispa Fukuoka and Nagoya Grampus clashed intensely. In the Mobile division, Avispa Fukuoka's Koki Shigeta scored an opening goal with a powerful mid-range shot in the 40th minute of the first half, and further extended the lead by shaking the net in the 55th minute of the second half. However, Nagoya Grampus's Hiroto Yagi also scored his first goal in the 63rd minute of the second half, igniting a counterattack, and then scored again in the 81st minute, tying the score and leading into the PlayStation® division match.
In the subsequent PlayStation® division match, Avispa Fukuoka's Shumpei Hashiki scored an opening goal in the 3rd minute of the first half. After that, both sides scored, and Nagoya Grampus's Shion Tokunaga showed his spirit, tying the score in the 45th minute of the first half. The decisive match was carried over to the third match, which was in the Mobile division.
In the final match, Koki Shigeta scored an opening goal in the 7th minute of the first half. Although Nagoya Grampus temporarily took the lead, Shigeta scored an equalizer in the 86th minute of the second half, sending the game into extra time. In the 117th minute of extra time, Shigeta scored a dramatic winning goal, securing Avispa Fukuoka's 3-2 victory and their first championship.
Koki Shigeta and Shumpei Hashiki of Avispa Fukuoka, who brilliantly topped all 40 J1 and J2 clubs, earned the right to participate in the "Regional FINALS" for a spot in the "eFootball™ Championship 2026 World Finals," which determines the world's No. 1 "eFootball™" player.
Please pay attention to both players as they aim for the title of "World's No. 1 Player" after conquering all 40 J1 and J2 clubs, competing against formidable opponents from around the world.
Furthermore, it has been decided that all 40 J1 and J2 clubs will be included in the new soccer game "eFootball™ Kick-Off!" for Nintendo Switch™ 2, which will be released on June 4th, 2026 (Thursday).
Experience the excitement of scoring goals with J.LEAGUE clubs in "eFootball™ Kick-Off!", whether playing alone or with friends!
Comments from Koki Shigeta and Shumpei Hashiki, who achieved their first "eJ.LEAGUE" championship
Koki Shigeta (Mobile Division Player)
- "I had a series of draws and couldn't win tournaments until now, but I finally managed to win at the very end."
- "Hashiki-san brought me this far, so I'm glad I could score the decisive goal."
Shumpei Hashiki (PlayStation® Division Player)
- "I'm a little disappointed that Shigeta-san took all the glory at the end after I led the way, but I'm glad we won! (laughs)"
- "There were some close matches, but I'm glad we worked together to get this far."
Final Tournament Bracket
Experience the excitement of scoring goals, whether alone or with everyone!
All 40 J1 and J2 clubs will be featured in "eFootball™ Kick-Off!",
scheduled for release on June 4th (Thursday)!
It has been decided that all 40 J1 and J2 clubs will be included in the new soccer game "eFootball™ Kick-Off!" for Nintendo Switch™ 2, which will be released on June 4th, 2026 (Thursday).
J1 and J2 clubs can be used in various modes, including the original "World Tour" mode, where you can establish your own club team and participate in tournaments worldwide, and 6-a-side soccer, where you can experience the thrill of scoring goals on a smaller pitch.
Use your favorite J.LEAGUE club and experience the excitement of soccer, whether playing alone or with everyone!
- What is "eFootball™"?
- "eFootball™" is a rebranded title of the popular soccer game "Winning Eleven" series, which first launched on July 21st, 1995.
- It has surpassed 1 billion cumulative downloads worldwide, is loved by soccer fans globally, and celebrated its 30th anniversary last July.
The Japan Professional Football League (hereinafter "J.LEAGUE") and KONAMI Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "KONAMI") announced that Avispa Fukuoka won their first championship at the final tournament of the official e-sports competition "eJ.LEAGUE eFootball™ 2026 Season," which uses "eFootball™" (available for free play on PC, mobile, and home consoles) as its competitive title. The finals were held in Ginza, Tokyo, on May 4th (Monday/Holiday).
The "eJ.LEAGUE eFootball™ 2026 Season" is an official e-sports tournament co-hosted by J.LEAGUE and KONAMI, open to all "eFootball™" users, to determine the top club among all 40 J1 and J2 clubs. The final tournament was a knockout competition among 8 clubs that advanced through tough qualifiers, with one representative player from the Mobile division and one from the PlayStation® division competing against each other. The winning club was decided by the total score.
In the final match, Avispa Fukuoka and Nagoya Grampus clashed intensely. In the Mobile division, Avispa Fukuoka's Koki Shigeta scored an opening goal with a powerful mid-range shot in the 40th minute of the first half, and further extended the lead by shaking the net in the 55th minute of the second half. However, Nagoya Grampus's Hiroto Yagi also scored his first goal in the 63rd minute of the second half, igniting a counterattack, and then scored again in the 81st minute, tying the score and leading into the PlayStation® division match.
In the subsequent PlayStation® division match, Avispa Fukuoka's Shumpei Hashiki scored an opening goal in the 3rd minute of the first half. After that, both sides scored, and Nagoya Grampus's Shion Tokunaga showed his spirit, tying the score in the 45th minute of the first half. The decisive match was carried over to the third match, which was in the Mobile division.
In the final match, Koki Shigeta scored an opening goal in the 7th minute of the first half. Although Nagoya Grampus temporarily took the lead, Shigeta scored an equalizer in the 86th minute of the second half, sending the game into extra time. In the 117th minute of extra time, Shigeta scored a dramatic winning goal, securing Avispa Fukuoka's 3-2 victory and their first championship.
Koki Shigeta and Shumpei Hashiki of Avispa Fukuoka, who brilliantly topped all 40 J1 and J2 clubs, earned the right to participate in the "Regional FINALS" for a spot in the "eFootball™ Championship 2026 World Finals," which determines the world's No. 1 "eFootball™" player.
Please pay attention to both players as they aim for the title of "World's No. 1 Player" after conquering all 40 J1 and J2 clubs, competing against formidable opponents from around the world.
Furthermore, it has been decided that all 40 J1 and J2 clubs will be included in the new soccer game "eFootball™ Kick-Off!" for Nintendo Switch™ 2, which will be released on June 4th, 2026 (Thursday).
Experience the excitement of scoring goals with J.LEAGUE clubs in "eFootball™ Kick-Off!", whether playing alone or with friends!
Comments from Koki Shigeta and Shumpei Hashiki, who achieved their first "eJ.LEAGUE" championship
Koki Shigeta (Mobile Division Player)
- "I had a series of draws and couldn't win tournaments until now, but I finally managed to win at the very end."
- "Hashiki-san brought me this far, so I'm glad I could score the decisive goal."
Shumpei Hashiki (PlayStation® Division Player)
- "I'm a little disappointed that Shigeta-san took all the glory at the end after I led the way, but I'm glad we won! (laughs)"
- "There were some close matches, but I'm glad we worked together to get this far."
Final Tournament Bracket
Experience the excitement of scoring goals, whether alone or with everyone!
All 40 J1 and J2 clubs will be featured in "eFootball™ Kick-Off!",
scheduled for release on June 4th (Thursday)!
It has been decided that all 40 J1 and J2 clubs will be included in the new soccer game "eFootball™ Kick-Off!" for Nintendo Switch™ 2, which will be released on June 4th, 2026 (Thursday).
J1 and J2 clubs can be used in various modes, including the original "World Tour" mode, where you can establish your own club team and participate in tournaments worldwide, and 6-a-side soccer, where you can experience the thrill of scoring goals on a smaller pitch.
Use your favorite J.LEAGUE club and experience the excitement of soccer, whether playing alone or with everyone!
- What is "eFootball™"?
- "eFootball™" is a rebranded title of the popular soccer game "Winning Eleven" series, which first launched on July 21st, 1995.
- It has surpassed 1 billion cumulative downloads worldwide, is loved by soccer fans globally, and celebrated its 30th anniversary last July.