Kirin Cup Soccer
The Kirin Cup Soccer (Japanese: キリンカップサッカー, Hepburn: Kirin Kappu Sakkā) is an association football tournament organised in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 then known as Japan Cup (International competition which national teams and clubs participated in), and was last held in its full form in 2022.
| Organising body | Japan Football Association (JFA) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1978 |
| Region | Japan (AFC) |
| Number of teams | The numbers vary with each competition. |
| Related competitions | Kirin Challenge Cup |
| Current champions | Tunisia (1st title) (2022) |
| Most successful team(s) | Japan (11 titles) |
| Website | kirin.co.jp/soccer |
| 2022 Kirin Cup Soccer 2023 Kirin Challenge Cup | |
From 1992 onwards, the format was changed to a round robin national team competition. The first nation to win the competition was Argentina. Japan are the tournament's most successful team with eleven titles, followed by Peru with three titles. As of 2022, the current cup holders are Tunisia.
Since the start of the international competitions in 1992, the tournament has hosted a variety of teams from South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Out of the South American members of CONMEBOL who have been invited (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru), Peru have been the most successful (three titles).
Out of the European invitees, there have been seven different champions, the most successful being the Czech Republic with two titles, with Hungary, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Slovakia and Scotland winning one title each. Aside from Japan, the only other Asian country to have won the tournament are the United Arab Emirates (2005), who shared the title with Peru.
In addition to the annual Kirin Cup Soccer there are a few Kirin Challenge Cup (Japanese: キリンチャレンジカップ、キリンチャレンジ杯, Hepburn: Kirin Charenji Kappu, Kirin Charenji-hai), friendlies also sponsored by the Kirin Corporation, played throughout the year in Japan. Japan took out the most recent 2021 Kirin Challenge Cup with 1–0 win over Serbia on 11 June 2021.