Get the lowdown on Japan before their clash with Brazil this Tuesday | OneFootball

The Brazilian National Team will face on Tuesday morning a potential opponent at the 2026 World Cup: Japan. The teams meet at 7:30 a.m. (Brasília time), at the Tokyo Stadium, in the Japanese capital, in the friendly that will close out October’s FIFA window.

In 19th place in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, Japan was the first country to stamp its ticket to next year’s World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

To secure qualification for its eighth World Cup, it recorded one of the best campaigns in its history in the Asian Qualifiers. In total, it had 13 wins, two draws, and one loss.

Japan’s results in 2025

This season, the Japanese National Team played ten matches, with five wins, three draws, and two losses. See the 2025 results:

Wins: 2–0 over Bahrain, 6–0 over Indonesia, 6–1 over Hong Kong, 2–0 over China, 1–0 over South Korea

Draws: 0–0 with Saudi Arabia, 0–0 with Mexico, and 2–2 with Paraguay

Losses: 1–0 to Australia and 2–0 to the United States

Across the World Cup cycle, they totaled 37 matches, with 26 wins, six draws, and five losses.

Japan squad

Photo: FIFA.com Publicity

Coached by Hajime Moriyasu since July 2018, Japan has as one of its squad leaders the defender Yūto Nagatomo, 39. Having played for Inter Milan, Galatasaray, and Olympique de Marseille, he holds the team’s record for World Cup appearances, with 15, in the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions. In his entire national team career, he has 144 matches and four goals.

Other standout names are midfielders Takumi Minamino, currently at Monaco and with a successful spell at Liverpool, Takefusa Kubo, of Real Sociedad and once regarded as one of the world’s great prospects, Ritsu Dōan, of Eintracht Frankfurt, and Daichi Kamada, of Crystal Palace, in addition to forward Ayase Ueda, of Feyenoord, who has 15 goals in 22 games for Japan.

Of the 26 players called up, only six play in Japan, while the other 20 are spread across European football, at clubs in England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Monaco, Italy, Scotland, and the Czech Republic.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.