Episode 001

Let's Play Soccer! (サッカーやろうぜ！, Sakkā yarou ze!) is the first episode of the Inazuma Eleven anime.

Summary
Raimon Junior High's long-neglected soccer club is suddenly presented with a request to play a match against the legendary Teikoku Academy! But there's a catch! If Endou does not succeed in getting 11 members for the club to play against Teikoku, the club is going to be disbanded!

Plot
The episode begins by a destructive hissatsu shoot to the goal and Kageyama Reiji disbanding an unknown school's soccer club, before destroying the school. At Raimon Junior High, Endou Mamoru is trying to convince the other 6 members of the soccer club (Someoka Ryuugo, Kabeyama Heigorou, Kurimatsu Teppei, Handa Shinichi, Shourinji Ayumu, Shishido Sakichi) to practice, however no one was interested and gave excuses. Thus Endou went to the riverbank to practice instead.

In the afternoon when Endou practises at the riverbank with some children, one of the children was showing off his hissatsu shoot which almost hit one of the two punks which were passing by. Endou apologises and asks the punks to return the ball, but the request was cut when the one of the punks kicks Endou's stomach and the other insulted him for being in a weak team. Not soon later, he spat and kicks the ball, which was heading straight for a small girl. Suddenly, a mysterious boy runs in and kicks the soccer ball back rolling at the punk's face. Endou asks the boy to join the Raimon Soccer team but the boy ignores him and leaves. The next day, the mysterious boy is enrolled in Raimon Jr. High and is introduced as Gouenji Shuuya.

Endou is called to the principal's office where he is told by the principal and Raimon Natsumi that Teikoku Academy wants to have a friendly match with Raimon, but the soccer team needs to have 11 players in order for them to play in the match. If they fail in having 11 players, the soccer club must disband. Endou, left with no other choice, goes around the school to try and recruit new members. He invited those who were interested in entering the club to the place where he practices. He is able to recruit Kazemaru Ichirouta, Matsuno Kuusuke, Kageno Jin, and Megane Kakeru (even though Megane has no athletic talents whatsoever and demands to be the ace striker). He also asks Gouenji, but Gouenji refuses on the grounds that he has stopped playing soccer. He asks Gouenji why he has stopped, but Gouenji does not reveal why.

The day the match between Teikoku and Raimon came. All of the Teikoku's members were skillful and terrifying.Will Raimon be able to win the match, or will their club be disbanded?

Characters

 * Endou Mamoru
 * Kageyama Reiji
 * Someoka Ryuugo
 * Kabeyama Heigorou
 * Kurimatsu Teppei
 * Handa Shinichi
 * Shourinji Ayumu
 * Shishido Sakichi
 * Gouenji Shuuya
 * Kazemaru Ichirouta
 * Raimon Natsumi
 * Kino Aki
 * Otonashi Haruna
 * Matsuno Kuusuke
 * Kageno Jin
 * Megane Kakeru
 * Kisaragi Mako
 * Hazama Ryuusuke
 * Terasaka Hibiki
 * Hideyama Kaito
 * Morimoto Rikuto
 * Kouzu Sora
 * Kitagaki Ryouta
 * Kidou Yuuto
 * Sakuma Jirou
 * Genda Koujirou
 * Jimon Daiki
 * Doumen Shuuichirou
 * Oono Densuke
 * Sakiyama Shuuji
 * Gojou Masaru
 * Banjou Kazumichi
 * Henmi Wataru
 * Narukami Kenya

Teams

 * Teikoku
 * Raimon
 * Inazuma KFC

Proverb
[Endou Mamoru] Don't give up without even trying!

Trivia

 * This is one of the few episodes where no Hissatsu debut.
 * This was the only episode which shows other clubs in Raimon Junior school which is neither the soccer club nor the athletics club.
 * The title of this episode also happens to be Endou's catchphrase. (Sakka yarou ze!)