Wikipedia

WE League

The WE League (WEリーグ ), officially the Japan Women's Empowerment Professional Football League (Japanese: 日本女子プロサッカーリーグ , Hepburn: Nihon Joshi Puro Sakkā Rīgu; "Japan Women Pro Football League"),[1] also known as the SOMPO WE League (Japanese: SOMPO WEリーグ ) for sponsorship reasons, is the top flight of women's association football in Japan, starting from the 2021–22 season. It is the first fully-professional women's football league in Japan.

WE League
Organising body WE League
JFA
Founded 3 June 2020; 6 years ago (2020-06-03)
First season 2021–22
Country Japan
Confederation AFC
Divisions 1
Number of clubs 12
Level on pyramid 1
Domestic cup Empress's Cup
League cup WE League Cup
International cup AFC Women's Champions League
Current champions INAC Kobe Leonessa (2nd title)
(2025–26)
Most championships INAC Kobe Leonessa
Urawa Red Diamonds (2 titles)
Broadcaster(s) DAZN
Sponsor(s) Sompo
Website Official website
Current: 2025–26 WE League season

The current (2024–25) title holders are Tokyo Verdy Beleza.

History

edit

On 3 June 2020, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced the formation of the WE League to become Japan's new top-flight, professional women's football league.[2] The semi-professional Nadeshiko League would become the second level on the women's football pyramid in Japan once the WE League began play in the autumn of 2021. United States–based business executive and former Japan international footballer Kikuko Okajima was announced as the WE League's inaugural chairwoman.[3]

17 clubs applied to join the WE League.[4] On 15 October 2020, 11 clubs were announced as founding members of the WE League, including seven with J. League affiliations.[5]

In the 2023–24 season, Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies entered the WE League, promoted from Nadeshiko League Division 1.

Competition format

edit

The WE League's 2023–24 season features 12 teams playing a double round-robin, home-and-away competition. Unlike the Nadeshiko League, the WE League will play a winter season that conforms with most European leagues.[6] There will be no relegation from the WE League to the Nadeshiko League, but teams may be promoted from the latter in the first several seasons for the WE League to reach a desired number of teams.[6]

Each team in the WE League must have at least 15 players signed to fully professional contracts, which are not subject to a salary cap.[7] In addition to bringing professionalism to Japanese women's football, the WE League also implemented measures to bringing in international players. The JFA subsidizes salaries for players from Southeast Asian member federations, while the league itself subsidizes players from top-ranked FIFA countries.[8] The league actively recruits players from top-ranked federations such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and Spain, and it also provides additional subsidies to encourage internationalization for expenses such as interpreters.[9]

Clubs

edit

2025–26 season

edit

The following 12 clubs competed in the WE League in the 2025–26 season.[5]

Club Position in the
2024–25 season		 First season in
top division		 First season in
WE League		 First season of
current spell in
top division		 Top
division
titles		 Most
recent top
division title
AC Nagano Parceiro 8 2003 2021–22 2021–22 0 —
Albirex Niigata 4 2007 2021–22 2007 0 —
AS Elfen Saitama 6 2002 2021–22 2021–22 0 —
Cerezo Osaka Yanmar 7 2018 2023–24 2023–24 0 —
INAC Kobe Leonessa 2 2006 2021–22 2006 4 2021–22
JEF United Chiba 9 2000 2021–22 2009 0 —
Mynavi Sendai 12 2013 2021–22 2013 0 —
Nojima Stella Kanagawa 10 2017 2021–22 2017 0 —
RB Omiya Ardija Women 11 2021–22 2021–22 2021–22 0 —
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina 5 2021–22 2021–22 2021–22 — —
Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1 1989 2021–22 1989 18 2024–25
Urawa Red Diamonds 3 1999 2021–22 1999 5 2022–23
Locations of WE League clubs
Locations of WE League clubs in and near Tokyo

List of winners

edit
Year Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place Leading goalscorer Goals
2021–22 INAC Kobe Leonessa Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies Tokyo Verdy Beleza Japan Yuika Sugasawa (Urawa Red Diamonds) 14
2022–23 Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies INAC Kobe Leonessa Tokyo Verdy Beleza Japan Riko Ueki (Tokyo Verdy Beleza) 14
2023–24 Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies (2) INAC Kobe Leonessa Tokyo Verdy Beleza Japan Kiko Seike (Urawa Red Diamonds) 20
2024–25 Tokyo Verdy Beleza INAC Kobe Leonessa Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies Spain Carlota Suárez (INAC Kobe Leonessa) 13
2025–26 INAC Kobe Leonessa (2) Urawa Red Diamonds Ladies Tokyo Verdy Beleza Japan Riko Yoshida (INAC Kobe Leonessa) 16

Sponsorship

edit

Title Partner

edit
Company Period
Yogibo Japan (Webshark) 2021–2023
SOMPO Holdings 2024–present

Cup Title Partner

edit
Company Period
Kracie 2024–present

Gold Partner/Grassroots Partner

edit
Company Period
Daihatsu 2021–present

Silver Partners

edit
Company Period
Plenus 2021–2023
Asahi Kasei 2021–present
MediQttO 2021–2022
x-girl 2021–present
Persol 2021–present
TRE Holdings 2022–2023
Kracie 2023–present

Social Impact Partner

edit
Provider Period
KPMG 2023–present

Official Broadcasting Partner

edit
Provider Period
DAZN 2021–present

Official Media Partners

edit
Provider Period
Yomiuri Shimbun 2024–present

Official Equipment Partner

edit
Provider Period
Molten 2021–present

Official Ticketing Partner

edit
Provider Period
Pia 2021–present

WE ACTION DAY

edit
Sendai to wear special uniforms for reconstruction support match in Ishinomaki.

As the WE League comprises 11 teams in its inaugural season, there are inevitably matchdays where some teams do not play. The league has designated these days without matches as "WE ACTION DAY" and conducts initiatives to promote its core philosophy. On September 9, 2021—the league's opening season—it announced the launch of activities aimed at realizing the "inclusive society" set forth in its mission[10].

Furthermore, as part of their efforts to address gender-related issues and contribute to achieving the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), each club conducts a variety of activities, such as soccer clinics for children, participation in para-sports experience events for people with disabilities, and community volunteer work.

In addition, activities tailored to the history of each region are also being conducted. Examples include initiatives in Kobe to ensure that memories of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake do not fade, and the hosting of matches in Sendai—held in March, the month the disaster occurred—to support recovery efforts following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ↑ "ABOUT WE". WE LEAGUE | Women Empowerment League.
  2. ↑ "Japan's first ever Women's Professional Football League, [WE League] to kick off in autumn 2021". JFA. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Orlowitz, Dan (28 July 2020). "WE League chair plots ambitious, progressive path for women's game". The Japan Times. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Orlowitz, Dan (1 August 2020). "WE League receives unexpectedly high number of applicants for inaugural season". Japan Times. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  5. 1 2 Orlowitz, Dan (15 October 2020). "Japan women's pro soccer WE League reveals 11 clubs for first season". Japan Times. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Football: New women's pro competition dubbed "WE League"". Kyodo News. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "WE League start brings Japan its 1st pro women's football competition". Kyodo News. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Orlowitz, Dan (10 September 2021). "Japan's ambitious WE League aims to empower in historic first season". The Japan Times. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Mahmud, Shahnaz. "Japan's new women's pro soccer league aims to attract players from U.S., France and more". The Athletic.
  10. ↑ ""2021-22 WE LEAGUE: WE ACTION DAY Collection"". WE League. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WE_League&oldid=1371929113"