FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kodansha and Concacaf Launches Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough Competition

Do You Have the Ego to Win? Prove It.

New York, NY — May 13, 2026 — Kodansha, the creative force behind iconic pop-culture properties Akira, The Ghost in the Shell, and Attack on Titan, is collaborating with Concacaf, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, to officially “kick off” Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough, a nationwide online competition inviting fans and soccer players across the U.S. to show off their style, creativity, and ego. This mindset defines Blue Lock, Kodansha’s global-hit soccer-centric elimination-game saga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura.

Inspired by Blue Lock, the campaign brings the high-stakes world of the series off the page and onto the pitch. By bridging professional soccer and global manga, Kodansha and Concacaf are creating a space where two of the world’s most passionate fandoms can collide in a new way.

Starting May 27, fans ages 13+ can submit soccer-inspired videos and photos through the Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough website for a chance to be crowned the Ultimate Striker. To enter, participants post their content on social media using #bluelockdiamonds and complete their submission at www.bluelockdiamonds.com.

Fan voting on the website will determine which submissions advance to the semi-final round. The final winners will then be selected by a panel of judges. Winners will be announced live at Comic-Con in San Diego.

Beyond the Ultimate Striker Grand Prize, fans can compete across five additional categories—Just Like Blue Lock, Best Use of Manga, Best Fan Energy, Best Cosplay (Group), and Best Cosplay (Individual)—with exclusive Blue Lock prizes and collectibles up for grabs across the board. Weekly raffle prizes will also be awarded to registered Kodansha Reader Portal (kodansha.us) users throughout the campaign.

The collaboration will also extend into collectible products, retail experiences, and live activations tied to the world of Blue Lock. Fans can visit select comic shops, bookstores, and Kinokuniya locations across the U.S. that will feature custom in-store installations, photo opportunities, and bonus gifts with purchase.

Striker’s Collection, a limited-edition BLUE LOCK × Concacaf project launching on Kickstarter, will feature officially licensed collector pieces inspired by the intensity of the game and bold “ego” energy. 

The campaign will culminate and come alive with the Blue Lock: Diamonds in the Rough Experience at Kodansha House, to be held in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, from July 2–12, where fans can step into the world of Blue Lock and have the chance to meet the creators at Kodansha House and Anime Expo at the LA Convention Center from July 2–5.

From Blue Lock digital content and limited-edition product collaborations to live activations in LA and beyond, Kodansha and Concacaf are bringing football fans, manga fans, and strikers-in-the-making together through competition, creativity, and the shared energy of the game.

For more information, visit www.bluelockdiamonds.com and follow #bluelockdiamonds.

About Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC
A subsidiary of Kodansha, Japan’s largest publisher, Kodansha USA Publishing is the English-language publisher of some of the world’s most recognizable manga properties, including Katsuhiro Otomo’s AKIRA and Naoko Takeuchi’s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, along with a robust catalog of English-language Japanese novels, cookbooks, craft guides, historical and cultural literature, and more. Today, thanks to recent fan-favorite and critically acclaimed hits like Attack on Titan, Blue Lock, Gachiakuta, and Witch Hat Atelier, Kodansha USA Publishing is one of the best-selling manga publishers in the United States. Kodansha USA Publishing’s print offerings are distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services, and their digital manga and select digital books are available across a number of digital comics, manga, and book vendors. For more information visit kodansha.us.

About Concacaf
The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) is one of FIFA’s six continental confederations, servicing 41 Member Associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana in the south. Concacaf means football first. Our members are united by a shared vision: Love For Our Game, as well as a unique mission, to develop, promote and manage football throughout the region with integrity, transparency, and passion in order to inspire participation in the game. For more information, please visit concacaf.com.