Japan played its opening match of the 2026 World Cup on June 14, drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands after twice coming from behind [1, 2]. The result kept Japan’s hopes alive in Group F, which also includes Sweden and Tunisia [3, 1, 2].
Japan has qualified for eight World Cups and has reached the round-of-16 or beyond on four occasions, but it has never made the quarter-finals [3, 1, 2]. The national team’s goal this year is to advance past that previous best. Former captain Maya Yoshida, now a squad veteran at 37, said, "For me, reaching the quarter-finals - a stage we've never reached or even experienced before - is the main goal. Anything beyond that would be a bonus" [3].
Manager Hajime Moriyasu expressed confidence despite some injuries, saying, "My goal is for the team to be one of the best of the best. We have raised our level little by little through our national team activity" [3]. The 26-player squad includes 19 core players from the Asian qualifying campaign and numerous regulars in top European leagues [1, 2]. Japan secured qualification early thanks to an almost perfect run in Asia [1, 2].
Since the 2022 World Cup, Japan has beaten highly ranked teams such as England, Germany, and Brazil, maintaining an unbeaten streak of nine matches against European sides [3, 1, 2]. At the 2022 tournament, Japan topped a difficult group by defeating Germany and Spain but lost in the round-of-16 on penalties to Croatia [3, 1, 2].
Former players and commentators now list Japan alongside Mexico, Ecuador, Turkey, and South Korea as major dark horse candidates for the 2026 tournament [1, 2]. Rachel Corsie commented, "I think they can go beyond their current world ranking of 18" [1].
Japan’s next matches in Group F against Sweden and Tunisia will be critical as the team chases a historic quarter-final berth, a goal emphasized by both Yoshida and Moriyasu [3, 1, 2].
