Japan are gearing up for their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance. Qualification proved straightforward, as the "Samurai Blue" became the first team outside of the host nations to secure their spot. In the past two editions, Japan have reached the round of 16, only to fall to Belgium in 2018 and Croatia in 2022.
Unfortunately, the squad will be without Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Kaoru Mitoma and AS Monaco forward Takumi Minamino. Minamino suffered an ACL injury in December, while Mitoma picked up a muscle injury earlier this month, and neither player has been able to recover in time. There are a few surprises on the list. Ajax defender Takehiro Tomiyasu earns a recall after roughly two years away from the national team, while veteran Yuto Nagatomo has been selected for what will be his fifth World Cup.
For head coach Hajime Moriyasu, finalizing the 26-man squad was no easy task. "There are still many players who have the ability to compete and win on the world stage for Japan," he said, while also expressing confidence in his final selection: "I feel that I have chosen the best 26 players for Japan to win on the world stage right now."
Japan have been drawn into Group F alongside the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden. They will open their campaign on June 14th against the Netherlands at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Ahead of the tournament, Japan will play a tune-up friendly against Iceland on May 31st.
Japan 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Zion Suzuki (Parma), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers)
Defenders: Yuta Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden), Ko Itakura (Ajax), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen)
Midfielders: Junnosuke Suzuki (Copenhagen), Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Junya Ito (Genk), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Keito Nakamura (Reims), Kaishu Sano (Mainz), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg)
Forwards: Koki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Kento Shiogai (VfL Wolfsburg), Keisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden)
