Nagi was effectively “locked off” after finishing 24th in the Neo Egoist League final rankings, which put him just outside the top 23 spots needed to stay eligible for Japan’s U-20 World Cup squad. The immediate trigger was the final matchday, where his attack stalled and Bachira scored the winning goal for FC Barcha, causing Nagi’s ranking to drop out of qualification range.

What happened

  • Nagi asked Reo not to pass to him, then hesitated in front of goal.
  • He chose to play it safe instead of taking the shot himself.
  • Bachira intercepted the move and scored, which hurt Nagi’s auction standing.

Why it mattered

Blue Lock’s eligibility cutoff in that arc was the top 23 players, so being ranked 24th meant Nagi was out. In fan terms, that’s why people say he was “eliminated,” even though the story frames it as being locked off from the project rather than a simple tournament loss.

Quick context

There’s also ongoing discussion online about whether this is truly permanent, since some readers think the story may still give Nagi a way back in later chapters.