The Japan Professional Football League, also known as the J.League, was founded in 1992 and has become one of the most successful professional soccer leagues in Asia.

Osaka is Japan's third-largest city and a major commercial and industrial hub, with a population of over 19 million people in the greater Osaka area.

The Yokohama F. Marinos, a professional soccer team based in Yokohama, is one of the most successful teams in the J.League, having won several championships.