・June 7 ,2026 → Cover Character Revealed!!
In this article, we’ll be breaking down the latest Volume 40 of the manga “Blue Lock”, including cover character theories, the official release date, and the included chapters!!
I’ve written this article with my own personal commentary to make it fun and easy to understand, so please stick around until the very end!
★ I’m so incredibly obsessed with “Blue Lock” that I’ve already written over 300 articles about it! (*’▽’)
★ In this article, we will cover the following topics!! ↓↓↓
- Included Chapters
- Cover Character Analysis & Theories
- Official Release Date
◆ Introduction
Hi there! I’m 『Yukidaruma』, the admin of this site! My goal is to build the “World’s Best Blue Lock Site,” and I’m pouring my absolute “Ego” into every single article I write!!
I mainly cover the latest chapters, volumes, deep-dive theories, character profiles, and detailed reviews—and I’ve already crossed the 300-article milestone!!
Thanks to Blue Lock, a true “Ego” has awakened inside my heart!! I’ll do my absolute best to share the greatness of this masterpiece with all of you! ❄️⚽
① Included Chapters & Story Overview
The chapters expected to be featured in Volume 40 will most likely cover Chapters 347 to 354!
↓↓↓
- Chapter 347: “DESTINY”
- Chapter 348: “This is It! This is What I’m Talking About”
- Chapter 349: “RE-LIVE”
- Chapter 350: “EGO is”
- Chapter 351: “Ego Traits”
- Chapter 352: “Trash Doll”
- Chapter 353: “Revolutionary Maverick Group”
- Chapter 354: “???”
As of right now, the weekly magazine has progressed up to Chapter 352 (At the time of writing: July 1, 2026).
Let’s break down and summarize the massive plot points that have been revealed so far! ↓↓↓
★ The Japan vs. France Match Concludes!!
👉 The fierce, white-knuckle battle between Japan and France finally comes to an end! This highly anticipated matchup, heavily spotlighted as one of the biggest games of the tournament, saw France completely dominate the first half. Japan managed to shift the momentum after making some tactical player substitutions, but how will this ultimate showdown finally wrap up!?
★ The “SIDE-B” Storyline Restarts!
👉 The “SIDE-B” perspective, which hadn’t been shown for quite a while, finally makes a long-awaited comeback! The “First Selection: Birdcage” officially kicks off, and the very first “birds” trapped inside are the duo of Seishiro Nagi and Ryosuke Kira. Will Seishiro Nagi be able to reignite his blazing “Ego” once again!? On top of that, that shocking character is going to make a massive impact and steal the show!
★ Jinpachi Ego Snaps & Loses His Temper
👉 Jinpachi Ego absolutely blows a fuse in the locker room after the France match concludes!? Following the game, the players open up and start having a brutally honest, heart-to-heart discussion in the dressing room. Amidst the tension, that certain man begins to openly express his deep distrust toward Jinpachi Ego…
★ A New “New Generation World 11” Member Appears!
👉 A brand-new member of the prestigious “New Generation World 11” from the England team is finally revealed! His name is Teddy Knight! He refers to himself as a “trash doll,” and his complete lack of emotion makes him seem like a literal, lifeless puppet. What kind of unbelievable playstyle is he about to show us!?
Thanks to Ego-san losing his temper, we finally get a taste of that classic, nostalgic “Blue Lock vibe” after such a long time! Lately, the series was starting to feel a bit too much like a conventional, standard soccer manga, so it was getting a little boring for me… (-“-)
After all, a team full of players who are constantly at each other’s throats is infinitely more entertaining than a well-coordinated, harmonious one!!
② Cover Character Analysis & Predictions
Now, let’s dive into the highly anticipated Cover Character Analysis & Predictions for the upcoming volume! ↓↓↓
▼ Characteristics of Characters Chosen for the Cover
First and foremost, as a general rule, the characters featured on the covers are almost always “Players.” However, in the past, non-player “Staff/Officials” like Jinpachi Ego and Anri Teieri have also graced the covers.
Based on past trends, the characteristics of cover characters can be broadly divided into two main categories! ↓↓↓
① Players
- Players who play a major role / steal the spotlight in that volume
- Brand-new characters
👉 Looking at past volumes, whenever a “Player” is featured, they are usually highly active and central to the story in that specific volume! In other cases, a completely new character making their debut will take the cover. Michael Kaiser (Volume 19) is a perfect example of this! To sum it up, there is no doubt that the cover character is always the “most memorable character of that volume.”
② Non-Player Staff / Officials
While players dominate the covers, non-player “Staff/Officials” have actually been featured exactly three times so far: Jinpachi Ego (Volume 11), Anri Teieri (Volume 18), and Hirotoshi Buratsuta (Volume 34).
So, what kind of content was covered in the volumes where these three made the cover?
- Volume 11 ➔ End of the Second Selection
- Volume 18 ➔ End of the Japan U-20 Match
- Volume 34 ➔ End of the Neo Egoist League
Notice a pattern? Volumes 11, 18, and 34 all represent Major Turning Points (the conclusion of a major saga) in the story! In other words, whenever a non-player official is selected, there is a very high probability that it signifies “the end of an era” or “the beginning of a brand-new arc.”
Since Volume 34 marked the grand opening of the new U-20 World Cup arc, featuring the JFU President Hirotoshi Buratsuta pretty much confirms this theory!!
▼ Cover Character Candidates
Based on the criteria discussed above, here are my official predictions for who will grace the cover of Volume 40!! ↓↓↓
🔹 Candidate 1: A Brand-New Character
The highest probability definitely goes to a completely new character! Why? Because so far, not a single player from Japan’s next opponent, England, has been drawn yet!
I predict that Volume 40 will build the story up right to the very brink of the England match kickoff. Because of this, it’s highly likely that at least a few main players will finally make their debut, just like the Nigerian players did. Among them, it’s safe to assume that a star player—like their “Ace”—has a massive chance of taking the cover!
There’s a huge chance they might have a “New Generation World 11” member on their squad too! Honestly, it’s kind of amazing how the author has managed to keep all information about the England players completely under wraps until now (;^ω^)
🔹 Candidate 2: Haneru Shindo
One of the new faces introduced in the “SIDE-B” arc is Haneru Shindo, who usually plays his football overseas. While we don’t have much detailed information on him yet, he was apparently scouted and called up by the JFU President, Hirotoshi Buratsuta, which automatically gives him a pretty shady, suspicious vibe…
He gets a significant amount of screen time, plenty of dialogue, and above all, he constantly instigates and messes with Seishiro Nagi. He is clearly being set up as a pivotal, central figure in the SIDE-B storyline. Since Volume 40 focuses heavily on SIDE-B, the chances of Shindo taking the cover are incredibly high.
This guy is a total enigma. Looking at his face, you can’t help but wonder, “Is he seriously under 20?!” Plus, I really question whether he actually has any genuine desire to play for the Japan National Team (the Blue Lock Eleven) at all… (゜o゜)
🔹 Candidate 3: Shigeo Mizuki
Slight spoiler warning here, but Shigeo Mizuki actually puts in some major work and plays a big role in this volume!! Initially, everyone in the fandom assumed he was just a pure “gag/meme character,” but it turns out he has a properly fleshed-out backstory and setting, making him a fantastic addition to the cast! For the full details, you’ll definitely want to see him in action in Volume 40!
Man… without giving too much away, he turns out to be such a passionate, hype-inducing character that you can’t help but root for him! Honestly, I genuinely hope he survives the cut!!
🔹 Candidate 4: Others
While the probability might be on the lower side, here are a few other players who could potentially steal the cover spotlight for Volume 40! ↓↓↓
- Characters Who Have Already Featured on Past Covers
👉 Since Volume 40 marks a major turning point, it’s totally possible we could see a previously featured character return with a brand-new look. Naturally, Yoichi Isagi would be the first pick for this, and it would be incredibly hype to see him grace the cover again in his newly evolved form, “White Isagi”!
- Gen Fukaku
👉 Gen Fukaku is currently the only player on the Japan National Team (Blue Lock Eleven) who has never been featured on a cover. Since Gin Gagamaru is the undisputed main GK, Fukaku likely won’t see the pitch unless something drastic happens (like an injury). That being said, considering he has managed to survive and stay in the story this long, I think it’s about time the author rewards him with a cover feature!
- Agi
👉 Introduced during the Neo Egoist League arc, Agi played for Manshine City (England) alongside Seishiro Nagi and Reo Mikage. While his deeper background hasn’t been heavily explored yet, there is an extremely high chance he is part of the actual England National U-20 Team! While he might not be a top-tier powerhouse, if he plays a major role in the upcoming England match, a cover feature isn’t entirely out of the question.
The way the series treats Gen Fukaku is so hilariously brutal that I almost feel bad for him (;^ω^) Obviously, you can’t go into a tournament with Gagamaru as your literally only goalkeeper, so it’s clear Fukaku was put on the roster out of sheer necessity. But seriously—if you’re going to put him in the squad, at least give the poor guy a cover appearance!
▼ My Final Prediction!
Taking all of the criteria above into consideration, my ultimate prediction for the Volume 40 cover is a brand-new character from the England team!!
Even though the author has kept everything 100% under wraps so far, the England match is bound to be a massive, high-stakes showdown. Seeing how the Nigerian players Onazi and Kuso scored cover features during the Nigeria matches, I fully expect at least two players from the England squad to secure their own covers as well!
England always has a reputation for playing rock-solid defense, so I have a strong feeling we’re about to see a beast of a Goalkeeper make his grand entrance!
★★★ Cover Character Revealed!!
July 7, 2026. The cover character for Volume 40 has finally been officially revealed!! And that character is none other than… Haneru Shindo !!
Were you guys as shocked as I was!!?? I never in a million years imagined that Haneru Shindo would actually grace the cover!!???
On top of that, his jersey number being “24” is incredibly suspicious, isn’t it?! The total number of players allowed on the Japan National Team roster is 26, with 23 of those spots already locked in by players from “Blue Lock”. Since they are using the “SIDE-B” arc to decide the final three remaining players (numbers 24 to 26), that number “24” could very well signify that he’s meant to be the “24th player” to join the squad… (; ･`д･´)
③ Official Release Date
The official release date for “Blue Lock” Volume 40 is set for August 17, 2026!
Lately, the collected tankobon volumes have been absolutely packed with tons of exclusive, newly-drawn bonus pages and extra manga panels. I highly recommend grabbing a physical copy to check them all out for yourself!
◆ Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading until the very end!! Knowing that you all are reading my articles gives me incredible motivation!
I’m going to keep pumping out articles until this becomes the actual “World’s Best Blue Lock Site,” so please continue to show your support! Let’s do this! (‘◇’)ゞ
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