Chapter 311

One day out from the tournament, the Blue Lock roster stage an eleven-a-side match under Ego's watch. After Hiori threads a scoring ball to Isagi, Isagi faults his tempo as too slow for the world stage, and when Karasu protests that he is demanding too much, Isagi brushes off their exchange as tepid. The jab sparks a brief scuffle until Aiku wedges himself between the two, arguing that feeling can burn hot so long as communication stays cool.

The pair make peace, but Rin rounds on Isagi for fancying himself the team's axis, insisting he must first surpass him outright rather than posturing as a would-be demon king.

Union chairman Hirotoshi Buratsuta barges in to announce that the roster will grow from twenty-three players to twenty-six, with three extra berths in his gift. One is set aside for Sae Itoshi, who will only appear from the final onward, news that enrages Rin. The remaining two hinge on a new Side-B contest, and among its entrants Isagi spots the familiar Ryosuke Kira. Buratsuta orders the Blue Lock players to reach the final at any cost.

Pressing Ego afterward, Isagi recalls the facility's iron rule that anyone beaten there can never wear the national jersey, and questions how Kira could return. Ego cuts him off, vowing not to field him and rating none of the challengers besides Sae as worthy. He then reveals that a loss at the World Cup means his own removal from Blue Lock, yet refuses to soften his mission to forge the world's best striker. The chapter ends as he readies the starting lineup against Nigeria and Nagi strides toward the tournament stage.

Although Japan must field at least twenty-three U-20 players, the opening scrimmage uses only twenty-two, since Reo sits out. The Side-B entrants are affectionate nods to Japanese film and manga figures: Nagisa Nakajima echoes director Nagisa Oshima, Takeru Miike points to Takashi Miike, Akira Shirosawa to Akira Kurosawa and Yasuji Ozu to Yasujiro Ozu, while Neita Tami plays on The Terminator, Kevin Iehitori on Home Alone, Takashi Nishiyama on the game designer of the same name, and Shigeo Mizuki on manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. The chapter belongs to Volume 35 across twenty pages, released in Japan on July 16, 2025 and in English on July 15, 2025.