Japan – World Cup Profile | OneFootball

The 2022 World Cup was filled with underdog storylines. But one of the most entertaining of those group stage narratives was Japan. They were drawn into the “Group of Death” with Spain, Germany, and Costa Rica. The world will never forget those iconic three minutes where both Spain and Germany were set to crash out in the group stage. 

Although that didn’t happen, Japan still beat both European giants to finish top of the group. However, they were immediately knocked out in the round of 16 by Croatia on penalties. This time around, they’re once again touted as a dark horse and will hope to make a deeper run. Let’s get into the Samurai Blue.

How They Qualified

As one of the top ranked teams in the AFC, Japan entered into Asian World Cup qualifying in the second round. They were drawn into Group B with North Korea, Syria, and Myanmar. It was smooth sailing for Japan, winning all six games in dominant fashion. They scored 24 goals and didn’t concede a single one. The only notable result was the game that wasn’t actually played. North Korea forfeited their home match to Japan because they refused to host the game due to concerns about a disease spreading in Japan.

Japan entered the third round after cruising through that group. Once again they had to play all their opponents twice, but in this round there were three groups of six teams each. The top two teams in every group automatically qualified for the World Cup, which is what Japan were aiming for. Their group opponents were Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China, and Bahrain.

This group was pretty straightforward for Japan as well. They started with emphatic wins over China (7-0) and Bahrain (5-0) before beating Saudi Arabia 2-0 in Jeddah. Japan then dropped their first points of qualifying as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Australia despite not allowing a shot on target. It was back to winning ways after that blip as they beat Indonesia 4-0 and China 3-1. On March 20, 2025, Japan officially became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as they beat Bahrain 2-0. They closed out qualifying with a draw against Saudi Arabia, a loss to Australia, and a win over Indonesia.

Key Players

Takefusa Kubo

It’s difficult to pick key players for Japan because they’re such a cohesive team. Everyone relies on each other to perform well. However, they still have star players and one of them is Takefusa Kubo. The Real Sociedad playmaker was their best player in qualifying with four goals and eight assists. He also registered an assist in both of their November friendlies against Ghana and Bolivia respectively. A winger by trade, he plays in the right half-space for Japan as an attacking midfielder.

The main reason Kubo will be so important for Japan in the World Cup is because of injuries. Brighton left winger Kaoru Mitoma, who many see as Japan’s best player, was forced to miss the tournament due to a hamstring injury. Takumi Minamino, who has 73 caps and 26 goals for Japan, will also miss the World Cup after tearing his ACL in December. Their attack is suddenly depleted and will rely heavily on Kubo to pick up the contributions that Mitoma and Minamino usually provide. Kubo has dealt with injuries of his own this season but has managed to stay healthy for the last two months and is fit for the tournament.

Zion Suzuki

Similarly to their group opponents the Netherlands, Japan’s youngest starter will be their goalkeeper. Born in New Jersey, Suzuki will get the chance to play on the biggest stage in his country of birth. He’s enjoyed a pretty solid two years at Parma in Serie A and has been linked to some of the biggest clubs in the world. A strong World Cup would only make those rumors more likely.

Suzuki is a key player for Japan because of his talent, but also because of his experience. He was thrown into the fire in the 2023 Asian Cup when Japan made him the starter despite him only having one cap in a meaningless game. Unsurprisingly, Suzuki wasn’t ready. He had the third-worst save percentage of any keeper in the tournament with a lousy 42.9% and was a big reason why Japan had an underwhelming tournament. Fast forward to 2026 and he’s got the necessary experience, making 24 caps for his country. Suzuki could easily be the difference between an early exit or a deep run in his first World Cup.

Potential Breakout Player

Keisuke Goto

The Japanese don’t have a breakout young player in their starting lineup, but they do have a few on the bench. 21 year old striker Keisuke Goto is the pick of the bunch. Goto was signed by Belgian giants Anderlecht in January 2025 after impressing on loan with their second team. He was loaned out to fellow Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truiden this past season in order to get first team minutes. 

It was an incredible year for Goto. He proved that he’s more than good enough for the league by scoring 12 goals and providing 8 assists in all competitions. He helped Sint-Truiden qualify for European football for the first time in club history. Funnily enough, they actually finished ahead of Anderlecht in the table. Whether he stays permanently or returns to his parent club, next season will be a fun one for Goto. Although he’s firmly behind Feyenoord marksman Ayase Ueda for Japan, the young striker will get minutes off the bench and is likely to be a key part of the national team for years to come.

World Cup History

Japan were a little bit late to the party but since they joined, they’ve never looked back. The Samurai Blue made their World Cup debut in 1998. It was a baptism by fire as they lost all three of their group stage matches. They’ve since played in every single World Cup, a streak that is in almost no danger of ending anytime soon. Their second time at the tournament was as co-hosts alongside South Korea in 2002. It went a lot better than 1998 as they went unbeaten in their group but lost in the round of 16.

It’s been an alternating pattern for Japan at World Cups. Group stage exit, round of 16 exit. Group stage exit, round of 16 exit. Group stage exit, round of 16 exit. Those are their six World Cup end results so far. Based on the pattern, Japan are set to be knocked out in the group stage this summer but they’ll be aiming much further than that. They’ve proven they can go toe to toe with anyone and are one of the most popular underdog picks to make it far in the tournament.

Coach Profile: Hajime Moriyasu

Hajime Moriyasu is the second-longest tenured manager at this World Cup, only behind France’s Didier Deschamps. Moriyasu made 35 caps for Japan as a player and started his managerial career at J.League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who he made 271 appearances for during his playing career. In 2017, he left the club and joined Japan as their U23 manager in preparation for the 2020 Olympics. He was an assistant in the 2018 World Cup as they reached the round of 16. On July 26, 2018, Moriyasu was named manager of the Japanese national team.

Moriyasu started his tenure with a run to the final in the 2019 Asian Cup. Although they lost to Qatar, it was an encouraging sign of what was to come. As mentioned previously, the 2022 World Cup was successful for Moriyasu’s Japan. They beat Spain and Germany in the group stage and took reigning finalists Croatia to penalties. The experienced manager has Japan looking even more dangerous now. They’ve won their last six matches in a row including victories over Brazil and England.

Fan Culture

Japanese people are some of the most respectful you’ll find anywhere in the world and they prove it while cheering on their country. Their fans have become famous in the last couple World Cups for their amazing tradition of staying behind after matches and cleaning up the stadium. They take after their national team by acting on unity instead of individually according to Asahi Ueda, the founder of their primary supporter’s group Ultras Nippon.

The Club World Cup showed the potential of Japanese fans in the United States. J.League club Urawa Red Diamonds ultimately lost all three of their matches but the support from their traveling fans was incredible to watch. Nonstop jumping in unison as they welcomed their team to the pitch was the highlight for me.

Group Stage Fixtures