2021 J1 League

J1 League
Season2021
Dates26 February – 4 December
ChampionsKawasaki Frontale (4th title)
RelegatedTokushima Vortis
Oita Trinita
Vegalta Sendai
Yokohama FC
Champions LeagueKawasaki Frontale
Yokohama F. Marinos
Vissel Kobe
Urawa Red Diamonds
Matches played380
Goals scored920 (2.42 per match)
Top goalscorerLeandro Damião
Daizen Maeda
(23 goals each)
Biggest home winYokohama F. Marinos 8–0 FC Tokyo
(6 November 2021)
Biggest away winUrawa Red Diamonds 0–5 Kawasaki Frontale
(21 March 2021)
Highest scoringKashima Antlers 5–3 Yokohama F. Marinos
(15 May 2021)
Yokohama FC 5–3 Tokushima Vortis
(16 October 2021)
Yokohama F. Marinos 8–0 FC Tokyo
(6 November 2021)
Longest winning run7 matches
Kawasaki Frontale
Yokohama F. Marinos
Longest unbeaten run25 matches
Kawasaki Frontale
Longest winless run13 matches
Yokohama FC
Longest losing run7 matches
Avispa Fukuoka
Oita Trinita
Highest attendance30,657[1]
Yokohama F. Marinos 1–1 Kawasaki Frontale
(4 December 2021)
Lowest attendance1,899[1]
Yokohama FC 0–3 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
(7 April 2021)
(excluding matches played behind closed doors)
Total attendance2,531,007[1]
Average attendance6,661[1]
(excluding matches played behind closed doors)
2020
2022

The 2021 J1 League, also known as the 2021 Meiji Yasuda J1 League (Japanese: 2021 明治安田生命J1リーグ, Hepburn: 2021 Meiji Yasuda Seimei J1 Rīgu) for sponsorship reasons, was the 29th season of the J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. This was seventh season of J1 League as renamed from J. League Division 1. The league began on 26 February and ended on 4 December 2021.

Kawasaki Frontale were the reigning champions, having won their third title in 2020 with four rounds to play.[2] They successfully retained the title, again with four rounds to play.[3]

On 20 November 2021, Oita Trinita, Vegalta Sendai, and Yokohama FC were relegated to J2 League with two games to play. On the final matchday, Tokushima Vortis was relegated back to J2 League after just one season.

  1. ^ a b c d "2021 J1 league attendance". Japan Professional Football League. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Football: Kawasaki Frontale crowned champions after 5–0 win over Gamba". Kyodonews.net. 25 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Football: Kawasaki retain Japanese title despite late Urawa equaliser". The Straits Times. 3 November 2021.