Japan at the World Cup 2026
Japan arrive at the 2026 World Cup having been the first nation in the world to confirm their place — beating Bahrain 2-0 on 20 March 2025 to mathematically seal qualification. Hajime Moriyasu remains in charge for a second consecutive World Cup after the 2022 campaign that beat Germany 2-1 and Spain 2-1 in the group stage before falling to Croatia on penalties in the Round of 16.
Moriyasu's setup is a 3-4-2-1 with captain Wataru Endo (Liverpool) anchoring the midfield from a deep-six position. Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) and Ritsu Doan (Freiburg) play as the two No. 10s behind a single striker — most often Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), the 2025-26 Eredivisie top scorer with 22 goals. The pressing structure is one of the best-drilled in the tournament; the Japan-vs-Germany 2022 result was not an upset of luck but of structural intelligence.
The squad has been hit by injury absences. Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton, Japan's best attacker by most measures) is out with a severe hamstring tear suffered in the Premier League run-in. Takumi Minamino (Monaco) is out with an ACL injury. Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP) is also unavailable. Kubo becomes the central attacking responsibility carrier in their absence, with Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims) and Celtic's Daizen Maeda as wide alternatives.
Yuto Nagatomo at 39 makes his fifth consecutive World Cup — the most of any Japanese player ever. The squad average age is approximately 27, with the European-club minutes-played count higher than any previous Japan squad. Group F opens against the Netherlands at AT&T Stadium Arlington (the tournament's largest venue at 94,000 capacity) on 14 June. Outright tournament price 51.0.
Outright odds — Japan to win World Cup 2026
Group F fixtures
All three group-stage matches for Japan at World Cup 2026 with current odds from our partner books.
Squad & predicted XI
Suzuki · Ito, Itakura, Tomiyasu · Tanaka, Endo, Kamada, Nakamura · Doan, Kubo · Ueda
Formation: 3-4-2-1 · Coach: Hajime Moriyasu
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shion Suzuki | GK | Parma | 8 | 0 |
| Hiroki Ito | DF | Bayern Munich | 25 | 1 |
| Ko Itakura | DF | Ajax | 38 | 4 |
| Takehiro Tomiyasu | DF | Ajax | 38 | 1 |
| Yuto Nagatomo | DF | FC Tokyo | 145 | 4 |
| Wataru Endo (c) | MF | Liverpool | 76 | 4 |
| Daichi Kamada | MF | Crystal Palace | 36 | 8 |
| Ao Tanaka | MF | Leeds United | 22 | 2 |
| Takefusa Kubo | FW | Real Sociedad | 44 | 7 |
| Ayase Ueda | FW | Feyenoord | 28 | 14 |
How Japan qualified for World Cup 2026
Japan dominated AFC Group C — seven wins, two draws, one loss across ten matches, with 30 goals scored and only 2 conceded. They sealed the spot on 20 March 2025 with a 2-0 home win over Bahrain in Saitama, becoming the first nation in the world to mathematically confirm a 2026 World Cup place.
The only defeat was a 1-0 loss in Riyadh to Saudi Arabia in the third group game. Moriyasu used the experience to rebalance the midfield pressing structure — Endo's role was shifted slightly deeper, with Tanaka and Kamada taking on more vertical breakup responsibility ahead of him.
Ueda finished as Japan's leading qualifying scorer with 8 goals. Kubo added 5, Doan 4. The squad's qualifying campaign featured 18 different goalscorers — the deepest scoring distribution of any AFC qualifier this cycle, evidence of the multi-threat attacking structure Moriyasu has built.
World Cup history
Japan's 2026 World Cup is their eighth consecutive appearance, dating back to France 1998 (their first ever). They have reached the Round of 16 four times (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) but never the quarter-finals. The 2022 result — beating Germany and Spain in the group stage as the bottom-seeded team — is widely considered the high-water mark of Japanese football.
| Year | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | France | Group stage |
| 2002 | Korea/Japan | Round of 16 |
| 2006 | Germany | Group stage |
| 2010 | South Africa | Round of 16 |
| 2014 | Brazil | Group stage |
| 2018 | Russia | Round of 16 |
| 2022 | Qatar | Round of 16 |
| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kunishige Kamamoto | FW | retired | 76 | 80 |
| Kazuyoshi Miura | FW | Atletico Suzuka | 89 | 55 |
| Hiromi Hara | FW | retired | 75 | 37 |
| Shinji Okazaki | FW | retired | 119 | 50 |
| Yuto Nagatomo | DF | FC Tokyo | 145 | 4 |
| Maya Yoshida | DF | retired | 126 | 12 |
FAQ
Who is Japan's coach at World Cup 2026?
Hajime Moriyasu, head coach since 2018. This is his second consecutive World Cup after the 2022 cycle that included famous wins over Germany (2-1) and Spain (2-1). Moriyasu has been one of the longest-serving major-tournament managers in international football.
Is Mitoma in Japan's World Cup 2026 squad?
No. Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) suffered a severe hamstring injury during the Premier League run-in in May 2026 and was ruled out of the tournament. Takumi Minamino (Monaco, ACL) and Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP) are also unavailable. The attacking responsibility shifts to Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan and Keito Nakamura.
When did Japan qualify for World Cup 2026?
Japan were the first nation in the world to mathematically confirm their place — beating Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama on 20 March 2025. They topped AFC Group C with 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss across 10 matches, scoring 30 goals and conceding only 2.
What is Japan's best World Cup result?
The Round of 16 — reached four times (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022). They have never advanced to the quarter-finals. The 2022 group-stage wins over Germany (2-1) and Spain (2-1) are considered the high-water mark of Japanese football.
What group is Japan in at World Cup 2026?
Group F alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia. Japan open against the Netherlands at AT&T Stadium Arlington (the tournament's largest venue, 94,000 capacity) on 14 June. They then face Tunisia in Monterrey on 21 June and Sweden in their final group match.