Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka handed Japan start in final World Cup warm-up | OneFootball

OneFootball's home page

Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka handed Japan start in final World Cup warm-up | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: OffsAIde

OffsAIde

·1 June 2026

Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka handed Japan start in final World Cup warm-up

Article image:Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka handed Japan start in final World Cup warm-up

Ao Tanaka starts for Japan against Iceland in Tokyo today, offering the Leeds United midfielder a timely World Cup audition. The friendly at the MUGF Stadium kicks off at 11.25am UK time, with the 27-year-old lining up in central midfield alongside Liverpool’s Wataru Endo.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, Tanaka has already been named in Hajime Moriyasu’s final 26-man squad for the tournament.

OneFootball Videos

He began March’s friendly against Scotland, playing 78 minutes of a 1-0 win.

He was then named on the bench for the Wembley meeting with England, but came on with 19 minutes left and made a decent impression.

The start hands him a significant platform in Japan’s final friendly before the World Cup.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

View publisher imprint

MORE STORIES

See More Stories
Watch on OneFootball