The global football family is headed by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and sub-divided first into continental confederations, including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and then national associations.
The Japan Professional Football League has been established under the umbrella of the Japan Football Association (JFA) as Japan's strongest league at the top of the Japanese football pyramid.
The J. League champions and other high-ranking teams participate in the AFC Champions League (ACL), the winners of which represent the AFC at the FIFA Club World Cup. The J. League is not only Japan's premier league but also a gateway for Japanese clubs to Asia and the world.