Kodansha and Concacaf have jointly announced a special collaboration with the popular soccer manga and anime series BLUE LOCK.
The inaugural partnership between Kodansha and Concacaf (fully known as the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) will promise fans across the Americas “exclusive original content, limited-edition merchandise, and crossover activations” that blend the intensity of international football with the storytelling power of Japanese animation.”
The collaboration will launch in mid-2025 and run through 2026, leading up to the World Cup and will be rolled out through multiple phases that include:
- • Special events during key CONCACAF tournaments
- • Limited edition BLUE LOCK x CONCACAF merchandise
- • Cross-platform campaigns across anime, manga, and football fan communities
Artworks Entertainment, a key licensing and brand strategy partner, is overseeing implementation of the project across the Americas and other key markets.
Kodansha will provide more updates and exclusive announcements for the collaboration later in the future.
Kodansha USA releases the BLUE LOCK manga in English, and describes the main synopsis as:
After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?
Source: press release
