Japan is in the same group as Nigeria, England, and France for the U-20 World Cup.
The latest chapter of Muneyuki Kaneshiro’s football manga brought a great twist to the story which nobody expected. Buratsuta offers Nagi a position in the Blue Lock U-20 team, which puts the player in an ethical dilemma. In another twist, it’s revealed that Sae Itoshi is also working with Buratsuta. We learn the teams Japan will have to beat to advance from the group stage at the U-20 World Cup.
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Blue Lock Chapter 308 recap
Nagi asks Buratsuta what he wants from him, and the Chairman of Japan Football Union asks if he wants to crush Jinpachi Ego. Although Nagi has undeniable talent, he was kicked out of Blue Lock by Ego. But there’s a way to reverse that. Buratsuta reveals that the minimum number of players in a U-20 World Cup team is 23, but the maximum is 26. Previously, Buratsuta made a deal with Ego. In exchange for providing the funds for BLTV, Buratsuta was allowed to put three people of his choosing in the team to bring the total number to 26. He wants Nagi to be one of the three people on the Buratsuta 3, but there are some conditions.
Firstly, Nagi will have to win the selection the JFU Chairman planned. Secondly, Buratsuta will take over the management of all his contracts and basically own his football career. Lastly, when he goes back to Blue Lock, Nagi will have to prove that Ego’s methods were wrong, so that Buratsuta can fire him and become the boss of Blue Lock. However, Nagi surprisingly refuses. He says that Ego, the person who created Blue Lock and made sure Nagi could play with people like Isagi and Reo isn’t wrong. Buratsuta points out that Ego is heartless and Nagi basically became a stepping stone for the other players. But Nagi counters by saying that Blue Lock is filled with passion and he can never betray that institution. Buratsuta says that he’s too prideful.
Suddenly, his phone rings and he picks it up, revealing Sae Itoshi on the other side. Sae says that the qualifier groups for the U-20 World Cup have been decided. In Group A with Japan, there are three teams--Nigeria, England, and France. The third team has players like Julian Loki and Charles Chevalier. Buratsuta freaks out as Japan has to be in the top 2 of the group to advance. He says to Sae that one of the places in the Buratsuta 3 is always open for him, and he is sure the world class player can take them past the group stage.
However, Sae says that he won’t play in the group stage as his main goal is to play against Spain and Bunny Iglesias. Buratsuta says he’ll keep the spot open for Sae so he can join the team for the final. Sae says that if Japan can’t win this stage without him, they’re worthless. He has a dream to fulfill, and he would do it even at the cost of Blue Lock. Nagi stands with his head down in the final panel, listening to this conversation.
Blue Lock Chapter 308
I love Nagi’s unwavering sense of loyalty that drove him to say no to Buratsuta. However, I have an inkling that he might change his mind after listening to Sae, who doesn’t even care about putting down his own brother to achieve his goal. There is fan speculation that Kira might be the person Buratsuta wants to bring back as he has been against Ego’s methods from the very beginning. However, it seems unlikely that a player that was eliminated in the very first round of Blue Lock is coming back. I’m more interested to see what Nagi does next as this chapter was mainly focused on his ethical dilemma. Will Nagi sell his soul to the devil?
Blue Lock Chapter 309 release date
The next chapter of Blue Lock is coming out on Tuesday, 1 July, 2025. Fans can read the manga chapters on Kodansha’s KManga website and app.
