The 98th Emperor's Cup (天皇杯 JFA 第98回全日本サッカー選手権大会) was the 2018 edition of the annual Japanese national football cup tournament, which began on 26 May 2018 and ended with the final on 9 December 2018 at the Saitama Stadium 2002. The final was held earlier than the usual date of 1 January due to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The draw for the first four rounds was held on 29 March 2018. As a result of its win, Urawa Red Diamonds automatically qualified to the group stage of the 2019 AFC Champions League.