Nation dossier · Group F · Out in the Round of 32

Japan

Group FAFCEliminated · Round of 32

Latest Brazil 2–1 Japan · Round of 32

Knocked out by Brazil · Match 76

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Title probability

0.0%

as of 2026-07-20

Overview

Japan arrive at 2026 as Asia's standard-bearers, a slick, deep, European-honed side that thrashed past qualifying with ruthless ease. Hajime Moriyasu's squad blends seasoned Bundesliga and Premier League talent with a fearless creative core, and the famous 2022 wins over Germany and Spain proved they fear nobody.

The ambition is explicit: the Samurai Blue have openly targeted breaking the Round-of-16 ceiling that has defined three of their last four campaigns. With arguably their finest-ever generation, anything short of a quarter-final would feel like underachievement.

Capital

Tokyo

Population

123,800,000

Confederation

AFC

FIFA code

JPN

World

Region

From Wikipedia

Japan fields one of the 48 national teams contesting the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Source: Wikipedia →

Squad

Goalkeepers3

1
Zion Suzuki
Parma · First-choice keeper at Parma
23caps
12
Keisuke Ōsako
Sanfrecce Hiroshima · J1 League goalkeeper
11caps
23
Tomoki Hayakawa
Kashima Antlers
3caps

Defenders9

2
Yukinari Sugawara
Werder Bremen · Attacking right-back
20caps
3
Shogo Taniguchi
Sint-Truiden · Steady experienced centre-half
37caps
4
Ko Itakura
Ajax · Tournament captain
39caps
5
Yūto Nagatomo
FC Tokyo · Veteran of four World Cups
144caps
16
Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Feyenoord
10caps
20
Ayumu Seko
Le Havre
13caps
21
Hiroki Ito
Bayern Munich · Bayern Munich defender
23caps
22
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Ajax · Versatile defender
42caps
25
Junnosuke Suzuki
Copenhagen
6caps

Midfielders6

7
Ao Tanaka
Leeds United · Central midfield anchor
37caps
8
Takefusa Kubo
Real Sociedad · Star attacking midfielder
48caps
13
Keito Nakamura
Reims
24caps
15
Daichi Kamada
Crystal Palace · Premier League midfielder
49caps
17
Yuito Suzuki
Freiburg
6caps
24
Kaishu Sano
Mainz 05
12caps

Forwards8

6
Shuto Machino
Borussia Mönchengladbach · Called up to replace injured Endo
14caps
9
Keisuke Goto
Sint-Truiden
3caps
10
Ritsu Doan
Eintracht Frankfurt · Scored against Germany and Spain 2022
64caps
11
Daizen Maeda
Celtic · Pacy Celtic forward
27caps
14
Junya Ito
Genk · Experienced winger
68caps
18
Ayase Ueda
Feyenoord · Feyenoord striker
38caps
19
Koki Ogawa
NEC Nijmegen · Tall target-man option
14caps
26
Kento Shiogai
VfL Wolfsburg · Uncapped newcomer
1caps

Model

as of 2026-07-20

Champion0.0%

Reach final0.0%

Semi-final0.0%

Quarter-final0.0%

Round of 160.0%

Advance from group100.0%

Exp. points

5.00

Proj. finish

24.5

Seed Elo

1800

Title-probability trajectory

Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots

Matches

Results

NRG Stadium, Houston

AT&T Stadium, Dallas

Estadio BBVA, Monterrey

AT&T Stadium, Dallas

History

2002
Round of 16
2010
Round of 16
2018
Round of 16
2022
Round of 16

Culture

Football culture

Japanese supporters are world-famous for their colour, organisation and the now-iconic ritual of cleaning the stadium after matches. The sport has surged past its post-1993 boom into a genuine national passion, fuelled by anime like *Captain Tsubasa* and the steady success of the Samurai Blue.

Did you know

The cult manga *Captain Tsubasa* inspired generations of stars, including Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta.
Japanese fans routinely stay behind to tidy the stands after matches, earning global praise.
Japan beat both Germany and Spain in the 2022 group stage to top a 'group of death'.
The J-League helped launch the careers of legends like Zico and Gary Lineker in their twilight years.
Japan have qualified for every World Cup since their 1998 debut.