Vegalta Sendai (ベガルタ仙台, Begaruta Sendai) is a Japanese professional football club based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier of professional football.
Founded in 1988 as Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Soccer Club, the company team of Tohoku Electric Power, Vegalta Sendai joined the J-League in 1999 after playing a few seasons in the JFL, with the nickname Brummell Sendai, to which they had been promoted in 1994 from the Tohoku Regional League. In the mid-1990s, the club began transitioning into a community-based professional club as part of the expanding structure of the J.League. In 1999, the club adopted the name Vegalta Sendai as a homage to the famous Tanabata festival in Sendai and joined the newly established J2 League.
Promotion to J1 and early top-flight years (2001–2003)
Vegalta achieved promotion to the J1 League in 2001 after finishing near the top of the J2 standings. The promotion marked the first time the club competed in Japan’s top division.
Vegalta performed strongly in its debut season and secured a respectable mid-table finish. However, the club went back down to J2 League due to the inconsistent performance.
Rebuilding and return to J1 (2004–2019)
Following relegation, Vegalta spent several years rebuilding in the J2 League while strengthening its squad and youth development system. The club gradually improved its performances and became a strong promotion contender.
In 2009, Vegalta won the J2 League title thus securing promotion back to the J1 League for the 2010 season.
In 2011, despite the earthquake and tsunami, Vegalta achieved their highest position up to that time, 4th place in the top division.
In 2012, despite leading the table for most of the season, Sanfrecce Hiroshima's challenge proved too strong, and losing the penultimate week game to relegation battler Albirex Niigata cost them the title, rendering them runners-up in the league which is Vegalta best-ever league finish in the top flight division.
After twelve years spent in the J1 League, Vegalta returned to the J2 in 2022, after being relegated from the J1 at the end of 2021. After finishing in seventh place in the 2022 J2 League, thus failing to reach the promotion play-offs. Ryang Yong-gi, a symbol of Sendai, retired at the end of the 2023 season.
On June 6, 2026, they won the J2/J3 100-Year Vision League, securing a major title for the first time in 17 years.
Team image
Name origin
The name “Vegalta” is derived from the names of two stars in the Summer Triangle asterism—Vega and Altair—a reference to the famous Tanabata festival held annually in Sendai. The names of the two celestial stars of the Tanabata legend, Vega and Altair were combined to form Vegalta.
Supporters
As with most football clubs, fans in Sendai sing and dance during matches. However, most of the songs used by fans from other clubs are avoided due to the more eclectic set. Club themes sung before each game are Take Me Home, Country Roads, and during the game. Toy Dolls, Blitzkrieg Bop and other Kiss and Twisted Sister songs.
Since Sendai is the hometown of Hirohiko Araki, who wrote JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, fans often wave flags with the same motifs of characters portrayed in Araki's manga.
He has won "the J League mascot general election" many times and is quite popular.
The eagle, which is also used in the club emblem as a symbol of victory in Greek mythology, is associated with the Aquila constellation, to which Hikoboshi (Altair) belongs, which is the origin of the club's name. The name was decided by public submission. Vegatta's SNS (BLOG, Twitter), which is updated daily, is loved and popular among soccer fans in Japan, as the mascot loves mischief, and is by some fans, hard to believe it is a mascot.
LTAANA (Sister)
From the Sendai summer tradition "Sendai Tanabata", which is the origin of the team name, "Luta" for Vega (Orihime) and Altair (Hikoboshi), and "Tana" for Tanabata, it was named as a girlish name by combining "na", on a 7 August, which is the date of the event and the birthday. Sometimes she tweet with [#ルターナ] (LTAANA written phonetically on Katakana) on Sendai's official Twitter.
When Vegalta wins any match, she expresses her joy on Twitter.
Cheerleaders
The Vegalta Cheerleaders mainly support "Vegalta Sendai", participate in many events, and continue to work as a cheering group for people who are doing their best in the area. She has the longest history as a cheerleader for a professional sports team in Sendai, and has been active since 2003.
Vegalta plays its home matches at Yurtec Stadium Sendai, a football-specific stadium located in Izumi-ku, Sendai. Opened in 1997, the stadium has a seating capacity of around 19,134 spectators and is known for its compact design, with stands positioned close to the pitch, creating an intense matchday atmosphere.
The stadium has served as the club’s primary home ground since Vegalta joined the professional structure of the J.League. Its intimate atmosphere and passionate supporters make it one of the most recognizable football venues in the Tōhoku region.
In addition to Yurtec Stadium Sendai, the club occasionally uses the Miyagi Stadium. a much larger multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Rifu, just outside Sendai. It is typically used for selected high-profile matches and major event. Opened in 2000, the venue has a capacity of over 49,000 and was one of the stadiums used during the 2002 FIFA World Cup where It was also used by the Italian national football team as their basecamp during the tournament.
Due to its significantly larger capacity, Miyagi Stadium is sometimes used for high-profile fixtures, major events, and matches expected to attract larger crowds. While Yurtec Stadium Sendai remains the club’s main and traditional home ground, Miyagi Stadium serves as an alternative venue that allows the club to accommodate bigger audiences for important games.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Kit evolution
Home - 1st kits
1999-2001
2002-2003
2004-2006
2007-2008
2009-2010
2011-2012
2013-2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 -
Away - 2nd kits
1999-2001
2002-2003
2004-2006
2007-2008
2009-2010
2011-2012
2013-2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025 -
Other - 3rd kits
2009 15th Anniversary
2014 20th Anniversary
2016 Great East Japan Earthquake 5th Anniversary Reconstruction
2017 SUMMER
2018 SUMMER
2019 25th Anniversary
2021 Limited
2022 Limited
2024 30th Anniversary
2025 Limited
Players
First-team squad
As of 11 September 2026.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
① and ② were selected as "that game I want to see again" on the J League official YouTube channel, and 2 was also selected as "10 Best Matches" by J Chronicle Best. ② was also selected as the "Best Match" of the J30 Best Awards.
This is a project to select the J.League "Best Eleven", "Best Goal" and "Best Match" over the past 20 years. A project held in 2013 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Japan Professional Soccer League. The mentioned two game is often featured as a legendary game in each media.
A project to select the "MVP", "Best Eleven", "Best Goal", "Best Match", and "Best Scene" of the J League over the past 30 years. An award hosted by the J.League to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the J.League in 2023.
Even in "Soccer Digest" (Japan's famous football media), the two were selected as "the best 3 selected J.League matches" by the reporter in charge of Sendai. Sendai's Yoshiaki Ota, who scored the equalizing goal against Kawasaki, said, "I think it was a goal that everyone worked together, including the thoughts of my teammates."
*The notation of the match card and the stadium where the match was held is at the time of the match.
Pos. = Position in league; P = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained
Sendai also participated in the ACL for the first time in 2013.
It was a tournament with many challenges other than matches, such as long-distance travel, overcrowded schedule with the J.League and local climate, but they did not lose in the extreme cold of Nanjing and the intense heat of Thailand and the final match was a draw or better in the qualifying.
It was a good point to leave the possibility of breaking through.
"Shichigashuku Town's Empty House Revitalization Project: Let's Build a Vegalta House" will start in July 2021 with the support of 143 crowdfunding people and a total of 78 local workers. It is involved in a social collaboration activity, in line with Goal 11 "Sustainable cities and communities" and Goal 17 "Partnership for the goals" of the SDGs basic guidelines.
References
↑"森山佳郎監督就任のお知らせ". www.vegalta.co.jp (in Japanese). Vegalta Sendai. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
