Feyenoord’s Japanese stars aiming for World Cup glory in 2026 | OneFootball

Japan aren’t going to the USA next year just to make up the numbers. That is according to Feyenoord’s Japanese duo Ayase Ueda and Tsuyoshi Watanabe Following the sides 6-1 thumping of PEC Zwolle on Saturday evening, the two players spoke to ESPN about the upcoming World Cup. With Japan having been drawn against the Netherlands in the group stages, both players are looking forward to seeing some familiar faces.

The duo are confident that, while the Netherlands are clearly their biggest threat in the group stages, they have the quality to come out on top and take overall victory. Yet just getting out of the group is clearly not all that they believe is possible. When asked about their chances of winning the tournament, Watanabe said ‘I think the chance is definitely there’.

Ueda looks set to be key in the Samurai’s chances of going deep in the competition. His four goals against PEC Zwolle at the weekend gave him 18 Eredivisie goals already this season, with just 15 rounds having been played. The striker will be on many scouting lists across the top leagues of European football and a strong performance at the World Cup will certainly increase his transfer value next summer.

Since making their World Cup debut in 1998, Japan have yet to go further than the Round of 16. However, the talent is certainly there for a deep run at the 2026 edition of the World Cup.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson