Japan captain Wataru Endo out of World Cup and retires from internationals | OneFootball

Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the World Cup because of injury. The 33-year-old Liverpool midfielder has also retired from international football.

Endo was hurt in late May during Japan’s only warm-up, a 1-0 win over Iceland. The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July. The player said in a post that he had done everything possible since the injury and had no regrets.

Shuto Machino of Borussia Mönchengladbach comes into the squad, while Ko Itakura of Ajax takes the armband.

Endo’s international career began in 2015. He won 73 caps and scored 4 goals for Japan.

Without him, Japan start their World Cup on Sunday in Group F against the Netherlands, then face Tunisia and Sweden.

Source: L'Équipe