The 2026 World Cup has its first certified staff. Japan will journey to the match in Canada, Mexico and the USA subsequent summer time.
Australia at the moment occupy second place and the highest two groups will qualify for the World Cup . The following two groups transfer into the following spherical of Asia’s labyrinthine qualifying contest.
Japan’s rising expertise pool supplies hope for enchancment
Japan captain Wataru Endo (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Hajime Moriyasu, who took cost of the staff on the final World Cup after serving as assistant supervisor in 2018, has guided Japan to 6 wins of their first seven video games of their Third Spherical Group.
They joined the qualification marketing campaign within the earlier spherical, beating Syria and Myanmar twice every with out conceding a aim.
Japan supervisor Hajime Moriyasu (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
After beating North Korea 1-0, they have been awarded a walkover when North Korea forfeited the return fixture on public well being grounds.
Japan certified for his or her first World Cup in 1998 and haven’t did not make the finals since, however they’ve alternated between group stage elimination and final 16 exits like clockwork.
In Qatar three years in the past, they progressed previous the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup. Japan had by no means earlier than achieved that in back-to-back tournaments.
Now, with Japanese gamers more and more making their mark all over the world and the nation’s J.League turning out worldwide high quality gamers with regularity, Moriyasu’s problem is to go even additional.
Japan’s gamers earlier than beating Bahrain in Saitama (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Japan’s early qualification is not any shock. The squad named by Moriyasu for the present worldwide week is full of means and expertise.
4 of his gamers – captain Wataru Endo , Kaoru Mitoma, Yukinari Sugawara and Daichi Kamada, who scored towards Bahrain – play within the Premier League. Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka received’t be far behind them.
11 play within the prime divisions in Spain, Italy, Germany and France. Former Celtic ahead Kyogo Furuhashi , now at Rennes, is joined within the squad by present Celtic stars Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate.
The oldest and youngest gamers are each among the many 5 gamers (tellingly, all goalkeepers or defenders) who’re regulars in J1 League, Japan’s prime division.
38-year-old FC Tokyo defender Yuto Nagatomo has performed greater than 140 instances for Japan.
Former Celtic ahead Kyogo
Kawasaki Frontale’s Kota Takai , virtually precisely 18 years Nagatomo’s junior, awaits his inevitable second cap and there might be many extra to comply with.
Japan have been capable of take good squads to the World Cup since 1998 however Moriyasu has two recent benefits.
First, his prime gamers are Champions League regulars with real expertise on the highest stage of the sport.
Second, he has a depth of choices no Japan supervisor earlier than him has had out there to them. Moriyasu trusts the nucleus of his group however there are gamers standing by or breaking via who’ve heaps to supply.
Birmingham Metropolis midfielder Tomoki Iwata (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Blackburn Rovers striker Yuki Ohashi is ready within the wings. Tomoki Iwata of Birmingham Metropolis, Coventry Metropolis winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Queens Park Rangers’ Koki Saito are plugging away elsewhere within the EFL .
In J1, Cerezo Osaka quantity attacking midfielder Sota Kitano is revealing his electrifying expertise at 20 years of age. 23-year-old Sota Kawasaki is a extra defensively minded midfielder at Kyoto Sanga.
21-year-old Riku Yamane is shining at Yokohama F. Marinos and teenager Jumpei Hayakawa has began properly on mortgage with promoted J1 aspect Fagiano Okayama.
The record goes on. The pipeline is flowing. The massive stars are on the way in which and Japan’s biggest footballer, the nation’s subsequent ceiling smasher, is but to return.
For the nationwide staff, the following impediment that wants cracking is the World Cup spherical of 16 in 15 months’ time.
The World Cup in 2030 might be the place one thing really particular occurs as Japan’s most enjoyable soccer technology ever comes of age.
