Tryouts

On a snowbound pitch strewn with footballs, Sae challenges Rin to a single-goal duel and wins with ease, feinting his brother into freezing before coldly asking what Rin has done in the four years they were apart. Elsewhere Ego fields a snide call from Chairman Buratsuta, who gloats over the ticket sales Sae's involvement has driven, while Ego calmly repeats that Blue Lock will transform Japanese football.

Addressing the thirty-five finalists, Ego confirms their match against the U-20, captained by Sae, is three weeks away, with victory earning a national place and defeat ending Blue Lock. He names his Top Six, Rin, Shido, Karasu, Otoya, Yukimiya, and Nagi, then splits them into anchor pairs: Rin with Shido as Team A, Karasu with Otoya as Team B, and Yukimiya with Nagi as Team C. The other twenty-nine must attach themselves to a pair, and because of the odd count, seventh-ranked Bachira will play twice.

Ego frames the test as assertion and coexistence: each player must prove himself indispensable to a top striker while blending into his game, treating the aces as stepping stones to surpass. Isagi agonizes over which pair suits him, and a conversation with Reo, torn over whether to reunite with Nagi, helps him accept that turning a decision into the right answer matters more than the choice itself. Meanwhile the U-20 side is introduced through coach Hoichi and captain Oliver Aiku, who accepts the challenge of facing Blue Lock.

Sae decisively beats Rin in their one-shot match, deepening their rift. Ego reveals the Top Six and pairs them into three anchor teams for the tryouts. The selection format requires the remaining finalists to prove assertion and coexistence in a single game, with Bachira alone playing twice. Reo and Isagi wrestle with which pair to join. The U-20 opponents are introduced, headed by coach Hoichi and captain Oliver Aiku.

Debuting October 5, 2024, this Third Selection Arc episode launches the anime's second season and adapts chapters 95 through 97. It introduces the new opener Bōjaku no Charisma and the new ending One. The Additional Time segment follows the Top Six squabbling over dorm arrangements, ending with Yukimiya and Nagi agreeing to room with Rin so they can discuss strategy.