# Kirin Cup Soccer

The Kirin Cup Soccer (Japanese: キリンカップサッカー) 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. 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.

## Tournaments

All times are Japan standard time (UTC+9)

### 1978 Japan Cup

Won by Borussia Mönchengladbach and Palmeiras. In the semi final Palmeiras beat English club Coventry City 1-0.

### 1979 Japan Cup

Won by Tottenham Hotspur.

### 1980 Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer

Won by Middlesbrough F.C.

### 1981 Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer

Won by Club Brugge KV.

### 1982 Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Result |
| Werder Bremen | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 7 | Champions |
| Japan | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 6 | |
| Feyenoord | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 5 | |
| Singapore | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 1 | |
| NKK Nippon Kokan | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 1 | |

### 1983 Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Result |
| Newcastle United | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | Champions |
| Botafogo | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | |
| Yamaha | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| Syria | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| Japan | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3 | |

### 1984 Japan Cup Kirin World Soccer
#### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| China | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Qualification to the semi-finals |
| Toulouse | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Qualification to the semi-finals |
| Japan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |

#### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Internacional | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 | Qualification to the semi-finals |
| Republic of Ireland | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Qualification to the semi-finals |
| Japan Universiade XI | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 1 | |

### 1985 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Santos | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 4 | +15 | 9 | Qualification to the final |
| Uruguay | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 8 | Qualification to the final |
| West Ham United | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 5 | |
| Yomiuri | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 5 | |
| Japan | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 3 | |
| Malaysian Tigers | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 31 | −28 | 0 | |

### 1986 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Palmeiras | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 6 | Qualification to the final |
| Werder Bremen | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | Qualification to the final |
| Japan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 2 | |
| Algeria B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 1 | |

### 1987 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Torino | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 5 | Qualification to the final |
| Fluminense | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 4 | Qualification to the final |
| Japan | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 2 | |
| Senegal | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 1 | |

### 1988 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 5 | Qualification to the final |
| Flamengo | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 | Qualification to the final |
| China | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 | |
| Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 | |

### 1991 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 6 | Champions |
| Vasco | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 | |
| Thailand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 | |

### 1992 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Argentina | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 4 | Champions |
| Wales | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | |

### 1993 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Hungary | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Champions |
| Japan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | |
| United States | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 | |

### 1994 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| France | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 | Champions |
| Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 | |

### 1995 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 4 | Champions |
| Scotland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | |
| Ecuador | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 | |

### 1996 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | Champions |
| Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | |
| FR Yugoslavia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | |

### 1997 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | Champions |
| Croatia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 1 | |
| Turkey | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |

### 1998 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Czech Republic | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Champions |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Paraguay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |

### 1999 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Peru | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Joint Champions |
| Belgium | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Joint Champions |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |

### 2000 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | Joint Champions |
| Slovakia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | Joint Champions |
| Bolivia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 | |

### 2001 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 | Champions |
| Paraguay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| FR Yugoslavia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0 | |

### 2004 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 | Champions |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | |
| Slovakia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 | |

### 2005 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Peru | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Joint Champions |
| United Arab Emirates | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Joint Champions |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | |

### 2006 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Scotland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 4 | Champions |
| Bulgaria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3 | |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |

### 2007 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 4 | Champions |
| Colombia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | |
| Montenegro | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0 | |

### 2008 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Champions |
| Paraguay | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Ivory Coast | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |

### 2009 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Result |
| Japan | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | Champions |
| Chile | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | |
| Belgium | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | |

### 2011 Kirin Cup Soccer

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | Pts | Result |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Joint Champions |
| Czech Republic | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Joint Champions |
| Peru | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Joint Champions |

### 2016 Kirin Cup Soccer

Kirin Cup returned in 2016, under a new name and format: Kirin Cup Soccer 2016.
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 10 June – Kobe | 10 June – Kobe |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 (4) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 (4) | 14 June – Osaka | 14 June – Osaka |
| Denmark | 2 (3) | 14 June – Osaka | 14 June – Osaka |
| Denmark | 2 (3) | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 |
| 10 June – Kobe | 10 June – Kobe | | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 |
| 10 June – Kobe | 10 June – Kobe | Japan | 1 |
| Japan | 7 | Japan | 1 |
| Bulgaria | 2 | | |
| Bulgaria | 2 | 3rd place match | 3rd place match |
| | | 14 June – Osaka | 14 June – Osaka |
| | | Denmark | 4 |
| | | Bulgaria | 0 |

#### Final
### 2022 Kirin Cup Soccer

2022 Kirin Cup Soccer was held between 10 and 14 June 2022, in a four-nation tournament format. Tunisia have won their first title, defeating Japan 3–0 in the final.

#### Teams

* Japan
* Chile
* Ghana
* Tunisia
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 10 June – Kobe | 10 June – Kobe |
| Chile | 0 |
| Chile | 0 | 14 June – Osaka | 14 June – Osaka |
| Tunisia | 2 | 14 June – Osaka | 14 June – Osaka |
| Tunisia | 2 | Japan | 0 |
| 10 June – Kobe | 10 June – Kobe | | Japan | 0 |
| 10 June – Kobe | 10 June – Kobe | Tunisia | 3 |
| Japan | 4 | Tunisia | 3 |
| Ghana | 1 | | |
| Ghana | 1 | 3rd place match | 3rd place match |
| | | 14 June – Osaka | 14 June – Osaka |
| | | Chile | 0 (1) |
| | | Ghana | 0 (3) |

#### Final
## Winners (Kirin Cup Soccer)
### Clubs

* 1978: Borussia Mönchengladbach and SE Palmeiras (Shared)
* 1979: Tottenham Hotspur
* 1980: Middlesbrough
* 1981: Club Brugge
* 1982: Werder Bremen
* 1983: Newcastle United
* 1984: Internacional
* 1985: Santos
* 1986: Werder Bremen
* 1987: Fluminense
* 1988: CR Flamengo
* 1989: Not Held
* 1990: Not Held

### National teams

* 1992: Argentina
* 1993: Hungary
* 1994: France
* 1995: Japan
* 1996: Japan
* 1997: Japan
* 1998: Czech Republic
* 1999: Belgium and Peru (Shared)
* 2000: Japan and Slovakia (Shared)
* 2001: Scotland
* 2002: Not Finished
* 2003: Not Finished
* 2004: Scotland
* 2005: Peru and United Arab Emirates (Shared)
* 2006: Scotland
* 2007: Japan
* 2008: Japan
* 2009: Japan
* 2010: Not Held
* 2011: Japan, Czech Republic and Peru (Shared)
* 2012: Not Held
* 2013: Not Held
* 2014: Not Held
* 2015: Not Held
* 2016: Bosnia and Herzegovina
* 2017: Not Held
* 2018: Not Held
* 2019: Not Held
* 2020: Not Held
* 2021: Not Held
* 2022: Tunisia