WE League
Organising bodyWE League
JFA
Founded3 June 2020 (2020-06-03)
First season2021–22
CountryJapan
ConfederationAFC
Divisions1
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s)Empress's Cup
League cup(s)WE League Cup
International cup(s)AFC Club Championship
Current championsUrawa Red Diamonds (1st title)
(2022–23)
Most championshipsINAC Kobe Leonessa
Urawa Red Diamonds (1 title)
TV partnersDAZN
YouTube
Tokyo MX
WebsiteOfficial website (in English)
Current: 2023–24 WE League season

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 Soccer League"),[1] also known as the Yogibo WE League (Japanese: Yogibo 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 soccer league in Japan.

History

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 Ladies from the Nadeshiko League will enter the WE League as an expansion team.

Competition format

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] Similar to the American National Women's Soccer League, 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, and the United States, and it also provides additional subsidies to encourage internationalization for expenses such as interpreters.[9]

Clubs

2023–24 season

The following 12 clubs will be competing in the WE League in the 2023–24 season.[5]

Club Position in the
2022–23 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 7th20032021–222021–220—
Albirex Niigata 10th20072021–2220070—
AS Elfen Saitama 11th20022021–222021–220—
Cerezo Osaka Ladies —20182023–242023–240—
INAC Kobe Leonessa 2nd20062021–22200642021–22
JEF United Chiba 8th20002021–2220090—
Mynavi Sendai 4th20132021–2220130—
Nojima Stella Kanagawa 9th20172021–2220170—
Omiya Ardija Ventus 6th2021–222021–222021–220—
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Regina 5th2021–222021–222021–22——
Tokyo Verdy Beleza 3rd19892021–221989172019
Urawa Red Diamonds 1st19992021–22199952022–23
Locations of WE League clubs in and near Tokyo

List of winners

Season Champions Runners-up
2021–22 INAC Kobe Leonessa Urawa Red Diamonds
2022–23 Urawa Red Diamonds INAC Kobe Leonessa
2023–24 TBD TBD

Sponsorship

Title partner

Company Period
Yogibo Japan (Webshark)2021–2024
Bushiroad2024–present

Gold partner/grassroots partner

Supplier Period
Daihatsu2021–present
Lawson2024–present
Good Smile Company2024–present

Silver partner

Company Period
Plenus2021–present
Asahi Kasei2021–present
MediQttO2021–present
x-girl2021–present
Persol2021–present
Bandai2024–present
DMM.com Group2024–present

Official broadcasting partner

Provider Period
DAZN2021–present
Tokyo MX2024–present

Official equipment partner

Provider Period
Molten2021–2024
Adidas2024–present

Official ticketing partner

Provider Period
PIA2021–present

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ABOUT WE | Women Empowerment League | 2021年9月開幕。WEリーグは日本初の女子プロサッカーリーグです。". 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. 2021-09-12. 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.
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