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

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·1 juin 2026

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

Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka starts for Japan against Iceland in Tokyo today, their final warm-up before this summer’s World Cup.

According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, the friendly at MUGF Stadium kicks off at 11.25am UK time, with Tanaka lining up alongside Liverpool’s Wataru Endo in central midfield.

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Tanaka has already been named in Hajime Moriyasu’s final 26-man squad for the tournament.

He started March’s friendly against Scotland, playing 78 minutes in a 1-0 win, then began on the bench versus England at Wembley.

Introduced with 19 minutes remaining, he made a decent impression against the Three Lions, and the 27-year-old now has a major opportunity before the World Cup begins.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk