Many new genres of ‘anime’ have been getting popular nowadays. Sports anime especially have been getting more and more popular by the day. ‘Haikyuu!!’ and ‘Kuroko No Basket’ is two of the most popular and well-known examples. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the entire world.
Mix soccer with anime, and you get one of the most popular genres of all time. Viewers who are fans of both the fantastic sport and anime are looking for new soccer genre anime and manga to find to watch. Let’s take a look at the top 15 best soccer anime and manga to find.
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15) Fantasista
‘Fantasista’ is one of the oldest soccer manga of all time. It started in 1999 and ended in 2004 and gained a lot of fans and viewership. The story follows a boy named Teppei who loves soccer and wishes to get better at the sport. His sister teaches him everything she knows about the sport. She then pushes him to join a high school soccer team to further pursue his dream.
14) Sayonara Football
This anime is quite popular and has ranked high on various platforms. The anime follows girls’ soccer and that not only makes it unique but real as well. This anime showcases all the challenges and hardships girls have to face in the field of soccer. The main character, Nozomi, faces a lot of issues, one of which is facing physically superior opponents. The anime follows her story and shows her growth.
13) Hungry Heart: Wild Striker
This anime follows the story of Kano who loves soccer more than anything. His elder brother who is a professional player taught him everything about the game. However, as Kano advances in the sport, he starts getting compared with his brother and ultimately loses his love for the sport. He joins the Jyoyo Orange High School soccer team where his love for the sport is reignited.
12) Captain Tsubasa
This particular manga is not only the oldest but also the most popular soccer manga of all time. The manga has been in circulation since 1981. It follows the story of a boy named Tsubasa who wishes to win the FIFA World Cup with the Japanese team. It follows his journey from being a normal boy to participating in the biggest soccer competitions.
11) Giant Killing
Unlike most soccer anime which focus on the players, this particular anime focuses on the club and the coach. The East Tokyo United club had a tough time with the league. The club has tried its best to improve and better its condition but unfortunately for them, it hasn’t worked that well. As a last resort, they bring in a new coach. The anime follows the journey of the club.
10) Whistle!
This is one of the most highly rated and popular manga series. Unlike most sports series, the protagonist of this manga, Daisuke does not have much talent for the game he adores. Daisuke cannot play the sport at a high level and wishes to improve. He then joins Sakura Jousui High School and starts working on his skills. Daisuke’s journey is similar to Hinata from ‘Haikyuu!!’
9) Days
This particular anime does not follow the journey of a team or an individual, but rather focuses more on the rivalry between two players. Tsukushi is considered to be talentless and is constantly overlooked, Jin on the other hand is deemed a prodigy. The boys encounter each other and it’s an instant dislike for both. However, they are unaware that this will not be their last encounter. This makes it one of the best soccer anime and manga.
8) Ao Ashi
This is a manga series that was later adapted into an anime. Ashito was an amazing football player and was the star of his junior high team. However, he was kicked off the team one day due to losing his temper. After his sudden removal, the team collapsed entirely and Ashito felt guilty. A coach finds him one day and recognizes his potential. Ashito then moves to Tokyo to further hone his skills and control his temper.
7) Be Blues! Ao Ni Nare
This is a manga series that follows the story of Ryuu whose dream is to be on Japan’s national team. Everything in his life seems to be going well until he gets into an accident. Trying to save his best friend, Ryuu gets into an accident and gets heavily injured. Being able to play after two years, Ryuu has to cover up a lot. He joins a high school team and that is the start of his journey.
6) Inazuma Eleven
As opposed to all the anime following the journey of the players in High school and above stage, this anime follows their journey in junior high. Raimon middle school soccer club has been struggling for some time and the responsibility to improve it falls on the current captain. The anime follows the club’s journey in how it recovers itself. This makes it one of the best soccer anime and manga.
5) Ganbare! Kickers
This is one of the oldest on this list. This particular series not only features amazing soccer moments but also has some romance in it. Daichi Kakeru starts playing for the underdog and unpopular team. That however changes soon as the team starts to win matches and trophies and gets more and more popular.
4) Offside
Goro is one of the most talented goalkeepers and he wishes to join a prestigious school to further hone his skills. His dream, however, does not get completed and as a result, he joins another school. To his surprise, he finds many other gifted players at that school and together they make one of the most talented high school teams.
3) The Knight In The Area
The story follows the story of two brothers, Kakeru and Suguru. Suguru becomes a star player whilst Kakeru has to settle for coaching as he fails to succeed as a player. This all changes when Kakeru gets inspired by his childhood friend who is the star of the Japanese girls’ national team.
2) Victory Kickoff
‘Victory Kickoff’ is a series about a primary school boy Sho Ota who loves soccer. His school team gets disbanded and Ota joins a girl his age to try and find a new team. This series follows his journey as he and Erika try to find a new team to play in the championship. This makes it one of the best soccer anime and manga.
1) Blue Lock
The Japanese national team has lost quite a few times in the championships and the new coach decides that the team requires a new striker who is capable of scoring goals. To find the perfect striker, he creates a facility where 300 strikers fight amongst themselves to become the striker of the Japanese national team. ‘Blue Lock’ is one of the most popular sports anime along with ‘Haikyuu!!’ And ‘Kuroko No Basket’.
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