Japan has announced its full 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s the eighth time the country has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. The Samurai Blue have reached the Round of 16 four times, which represents their best-ever performance at a FIFA World Cup.
Head coach and former player Hajime Moriyasu announced the full squad earlier today. Captain Wataru Endo is the team’s leader. The defensive midfielder from Liverpool FC is one of the key players in Moriyasu’s squad. He suffered a bad ankle injury in April but still managed to be healthy in time for the World Cup. The star player in the squad would have been Brighton and Hove Albion’s Kaoru Mitoma.
The 28-year-old technician has made a big impact with his style of play for the national team. Unfortunately, due to an injury, he won’t be ready in time for the World Cup. Also, Monaco’s Takumi Minamino will not be part of the squad due to an injury. Yuta Nagatomo is the most experienced player in the squad. With 144 caps, he will play his fifth FIFA World Cup for The Samurai Blue.
Full Squad Japan For The 2026 FIFA World Cup
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: Kōki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Kento Shiogai (VfL Wolfsburg), Keisuke Gotō (Sint-Truiden)
Qualification For The 2026 FIFA World Cup
Aside from the hosts, Japan was the first country to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Japanese side was drawn into a group with Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China, and Bahrain. The first two countries in the group directly qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With still three games in hand, the Japanese squad qualified on March 20, 2025, by defeating Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama. Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored the goals during the match.
The Japanese squad finished top of the group, earning 23 points in ten matches. Four points more than Australia, which came in second place. They scored 30 goals and conceded just three across those ten matches. Daichi Kamada and Kōki Ogawa both scored four goals and became top scorers for the Asian squad during the qualifiers. Having first qualified in 1998, Japan is set to make its eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Japan landed in Group F. The Japanese open their World Cup on June 14 in Arlington, Texas, where they will take on the Netherlands. Seven days later, they head to Guadalupe, Mexico, to take on Tunisia. For their final group stage match, they have to travel back to Arlington to take on Sweden on June 25. The two group winners and the eight best third-placed teams from each group will advance to the next stage.
Japan Schedule
- June 14 – The Netherlands (4 pm EST)
- June 21 – Tunisia (12 am EST)
- June 25 – Sweden (7 pm EST)