Ahead of Japan’s FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Sweden, former Japan international Keisuke Honda called on bosses all over Japan to allow employees flexibility in their work schedules so they could watch the game, which will start at 8 AM locally.
Surprisingly, among those who responded was Inazuma Eleven developer Level-5. The company’s president and CEO Akihiro Hino quoted Honda’s post, writing: “As a company leader who supports soccer, I’ve decided that at Level-5, employees can watch the match first and then come to work at their own pace without it being considered late. Let’s all cheer together!”
While we’ve seen game companies give their employees leeway to play new game releases like Monster Hunter Wilds and Elden Ring, soccer match-passes are definitely new on the list. Although, it doesn’t come as that big a surprise given Level-5’s long history with the Inazuma Eleven series.
In the meantime, Hino’s response to Honda has been met with much praise from Japanese fans or X, who were happy to see the company supporting soccer, and most of all, being kind to its employees.
