Dragon Ballhas earned itself the status of a global cultural mainstay, and one promo just proved its legacy forever. It comes at a great time for the series. 2024 has seen the debut of the new seriesDragon Ball Daima, which is getting nothing but a warm reception.Dragon Ballis generating more buzz than it has in years, and for shōnen’s most influential franchise, that’s saying a lot.
The franchise is oftenunfairly relegated to the status of a nostalgic relicwhose age outwears its influence, but 2024 has shownDragon Ballto be alive and well. It’s being capped off with the promo of a lifetime: a popular sports website has pitted Goku against an unlikely foe in a mutual ode between anime and soccer. It’s a milestone moment for anime’s relationship with soccer, but it’s far from the whole story.
Dragon BallHas Reached The Zenith Of Promotional Crossovers
The Posters Are Signs Of Anime’s Important Connection To Soccer
To build hype for China and Japan’s matches in the FIFA Asian qualifiers, popular Chinese sports site Dongquidi drafted up posters pitting Goku against Sun Wukong,shared on X byDragon Ballinfluencer SLO. This is a two-fold honor. Firstly, Goku’s global recognition is affirmed by squaring him up against a vital figure in Chinese mythology (andan inspiration for Goku himself). At the same time,Dragon Ball’s representation of Japan itself in a FIFA promotion is a respectful nod to anime’s entanglement with soccer.
While the posters are jaw-dropping,Dragon Ball’s appearance in FIFA promotional material is unsurprising: anime and soccer have always gone hand-in-hand.The first soccer-centered manga,Akakichi No Eleven, debuted in 1970. Its influence would have nothing onCaptain Tsubasa, though;Captain Tsubasahas grown into a beloved landmark franchise since its 1981 debut, spanning multiple entries. Its latest entry,Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun, wrapped up just months ago, in April 2024. Both would influence countless star players like Messi and Fernando Torres.
Captain Tsubasa’s historic success, however, was eclipsed by the more recentBlue Lock, which has becomeone of the best-selling manga in recent years. Providing a new spin on the popular sports anime tropes,Blue Lockhas become popular in the mainstream too, with crossovers even with the Japanese national soccer team.
Sports And Anime Have Always Built Each Other Up
The Pair Is Inseparable, And That’s A Good Thing
Goku’s appearance is also a shorthand for something much bigger. Anime is part of a broad cultural sphere where it intertwines with sports, exerting a mutual influence. Anime’s ability to inspire is nothing new—and that includes future athletes. Meanwhile, from its humble origins, anime has always carved out a space for sports.Speed Racer(1966) andAshita no Joe(1968) are foundational examples. If the power of friendship, teamwork, training arcs, and overcoming adversity have become predominant shōnen themes, it’s in no small part due to the influence of sports anime.
This isn’t restricted to boys, either. The first sports-centered shojo manga,Attack No. 1, dates to 1968—remarkably early in anime’s long history.
Anime and sports continue to inspire one another. Franchises that aren’t even about sportscontinue to be referenced by athletes they’ve inspired, like footballer Dominic Solanke who celebrates withJujutsu Kaisen’s domain expansion gestures or the winner of the Men’s 100-meter sprint at the Olympics, Noah Lyles, whopopped out a piece of the iconicYu-Gi-Oh!card Exodia before each race.
In a way,Dragon Ball’s appearance in FIFA promotional material is fitting: Akira Toriyama’s iconic series is as foundational as sport itself to the franchises responsible for inspiring generations of athletes.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
