Manga and anime series BLUELOCK is trending on Twitter and other social media platforms after a 2-1 comeback victory for Japan’s national men’s soccer team over the highly touted Team Germany. 

Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late goals to put the Japanese soccer team to victory on November 23, 2022. Both Doan and Asano currently play for clubs in the German Bundesliga football league. 

BLUELOCK manga artist Yusuke Nomura released a special commemorative illustration to celebrate the win, which featured protagonist Yoichi Isagi in his number 11 jersey. 

Earlier this past August, the Japanese national soccer team for both the men and women’s side collaborated with the BLUELOCK and Giant Killing manga series. Its purpose was to promote the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and make soccer a deeper part of Japanese culture. The uniforms featured in Nomura’s manga are reflected in the men’s blue uniforms at the World Cup. 

After Japan’s win over Germany, many took to Twitter to celebrate their victory: 

IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED! 2-1 COMEBACK BABY!! LET’S GOOOO!!!” 🇯🇵⚽ 🇯🇵⚽ 🇯🇵 #GERJPN #FIFAWorldCup

Anime: Blue Lock & AOASHI

Vote on this week’s Top Anime Polls: https://t.co/WQ5sn15Gq6 pic.twitter.com/BRFnfc9QL9

— Anime Trending (@AniTrendz) November 23, 2022

BLUE LOCK IS REAL #FIFAWorldCup #GERJPN pic.twitter.com/S5v9LiUgNK

— IGN (@IGN) November 23, 2022

JAPAN BEATING GERMANY WITH THE POWER OF GOD AND ANIME ON THEIR SIDE…WHAT WAS THAT?! #WorldCup2022

— Gigguk (@GiggukAZ) November 23, 2022

Blue lock mangaka watchin his sales skyrocket after every Japan game pic.twitter.com/lcATMGP5wt

— x11 (@knownas11) November 23, 2022

PROJET BLUE LOCK pic.twitter.com/doqhTlK8aq

— Yass (@PatrickAdemo) November 23, 2022

The mangaka of Blue lock right now. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Xy8x60ROLW

— Juan Carlos Reneo (@ReneusMeister) November 23, 2022

Meanwhile, a few days earlier at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, viewers also noticed an Anya cosplayer mixed in with a crowd of cheering fans. 

#WorldcupQatar2022 #SPY_FAMILY

آنيا في كأس العالم

Anya in world Cup pic.twitter.com/SGAXe31eXs

— مراهمد 🐐 #بليتش 🍀 (@Ahmedm94m) November 20, 2022

What is anya doing at the world cup pic.twitter.com/B6EaS6ZoU6

— Shakib✨ (@shakaragi) November 20, 2022

tf is anya doing at the world cup bro 😭 pic.twitter.com/0ShrAqj5SK

— Shubham – CEO of Hachiman (@shubhxhachi) November 23, 2022

Crunchyroll is streaming the 24-episode anime series in English and describes the synopsis as: 

Japan’s desire for World Cup glory leads the Japanese Football Association to launch a new rigorous training program to find the national team’s next striker. Three hundred high school players are pitted against each other for the position, but only one will come out on top. Who among them will be the striker to usher in a new era of Japanese soccer?

Source: Twitter, Comic Natalie