With the exception of the three hosts – Canada, Mexico and the USA – Japan were the first team to punch their ticket to the FIFA World Cup 2026™, winning their Asian qualifying group at a canter. This will be their eighth consecutive World Cup, a run that stretches back to their first-ever qualification, which was for the 1998 tournament in France. Last time out, at Qatar 2022, they overcame both Spain and Germany in the group stage to earn passage to the Round of 16, and will surely be keen to put on similar displays when they arrive in North America.
Japan coach: Hajime Moriyasu
Hajime Moriyasu was appointed as head coach of Japan in July 2018. In his playing career, he had been a midfielder for the national side as well as for Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who he later managed to three J1 League titles. When he led Japan to the last 16 at Qatar 2022, he became the third Japanese coach, after Takeshi Okada and Akira Nishino to achieve that feat. Moriyasu is regarded as having impressive man-management, and has been able to maintain the competitiveness of the team while developing young players and overseeing a transition between generations.
Japan’s World Cup 26 fixtures and group
Japan will discover their group-stage opponents when the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26 takes place at the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC from 12:00 local time on Friday, 5 December.
How Japan qualified for World Cup 26
In the second round of AFC qualifiers, Japan were drawn in a group with Korea DPR, Syria, and Myanmar. They scored 24 goals and conceded none, winning all six games to comfortably claim top spot. They did not let up in the third round, recording consecutive victories over China PR, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. A draw with Australia was next, followed by a victory over Indonesia and in the return fixtures against China PR and Bahrain, clinching qualification with three games to spare. Not only did this make Japan the first team to reach the World Cup after the three hosts, it also represented their fastest qualification ever.
Full World Cup 26 match schedule
Japan’s World Cup history
Japan’s best World Cup
Of the last seven World Cups, Japan have progressed beyond the group stage on four occasions, but have lost in the first knockout round each time. The Round of 16 remains the furthest that they have managed to advance, a feat they first achieved at their co-hosted home World Cup in 2002, when they were knocked out by Türkiye, suffering a 0-1 loss. At South Africa 2010, it was a penalty defeat against Paraguay, Russia 2018 saw them surrender a 2-0 lead to Belgium, and it was penalty heartbreak again at Qatar 2022, this time at the hands of Croatia.
Japan’s last World Cup
At the FIFA World Cup 2022™, Japan were placed in a group with Germany, Spain and Costa Rica. By overcoming Germany in their opening fixture and defeating Spain in the third match, they secured first place in the group and a knockout berth. Their opponents in the Round of 16 would be 2018 finalists Croatia. The two teams could not be separated over 120 minutes, with the game finishing 1-1 and going to a penalty shootout. However, it was Croatia who triumphed, and Japan who had to leave in disappointment.
Japan’s first World Cup
Japan’s maiden FIFA World Cup was the 1998 tournament in France. The group stage draw put them together with Argentina, Croatia and Jamaica. Despite Masashi Nakayama scoring their first ever World Cup goal in the match against Jamaica, they lost all three games and were eliminated.
Japan’s World Cup top scorer
Keisuke Honda holds the record for most World Cup goals in a Japanese shirt, with a total of four, which included scoring in three consecutive tournaments. At South Africa 2010, he grabbed the opener against Cameroon, and then produced both an assist and a stunning long-range goal from a free-kick against Denmark. Four years later, in Brazil, he netted the opening goal against Côte d’Ivoire, then in Russia 2018 the fans were chanting his name after a priceless equaliser against Senegal.
Japan’s record World Cup appearance-maker
This record is held by Yuto Nagatomo, who made a total of 15 appearances across the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments. In 2010, he started all four of Japan’s matches, helping them to reach the knockout stages. He also featured in every game in both 2014 and 2018 as a key player on the left flank. By 2022, he was a veteran member of the squad and contributed significantly to the successes against Germany and Spain. Nagatomo is still an active player, and is aiming to appear at a fifth consecutive tournament in 2026.
Japan’s memorable World Cup moments
Japan’s greatest feat at the World Cup took place in the group stage in Qatar 2022. Their first match was against 2014 champions Germany. Despite going behind to a first-half penalty, they recovered well, and second-half goals by Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano completed a comeback victory that stunned the world. In the final group stage match, they also encountered former champions in the shape of Spain. Once again, they achieved a 2-1 comeback victory with goals from Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka, topping the group and qualifying for the knockouts in the process. Both of these matches have entered the annals of World Cup history as two of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
In the 2002 World Cup, in which they were co-hosts, they managed to finish top of a group containing Belgium, Russia and Tunisia. Junichi Inamoto netted in consecutive games against Belgium and Russia, helping guide the team through the group stage for the first time in their history. Despite a painful 1-0 loss against Türkiye, this was the tournament that marked the dawn of a new era in Japanese football. At South Africa 2010, Japan recorded a 1-0 victory in their opener against Cameroon, and later a decisive 3-1 triumph against Denmark in which both Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo scored tremendous long-range efforts from direct free-kicks. It was the first time they had successfully navigated the group stage on foreign soil.
When the World Cup came to Russia in 2018, Japan’s round of 16 opponents were Belgium, ranked third in the world at the time. The Asian side raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui, and a historic victory was in sight. However, Belgium netted twice later in the second half, bringing the scores level, before a counter-attack from a Japanese corner gave Belgium the winner and handed the team a bitter defeat. This match, in which the team went from the brink of victory to the heartbreak of elimination, sent shockwaves through the Japanese fanbase and came to be known as the “Devastation of Rostov.”
Japan’s biggest World Cup win
Japan have a record of seven wins from their 25 World Cup games, five of which have been by a single goal. The other victories were both by a two-goal margin, and remain their biggest wins in the tournament. In their home World Cup in 2002, Japan found themselves needing a draw or better against Tunisia in order to make it through the group stage. It was a mission they accomplished with aplomb, as goals from Hiroaki Morishima and Hidetoshi Nakata put the seal on a 2-0 triumph. A similar situation arose in South Africa 2010 going into the final group game with Denmark. Keisuke Honda, Yasuhito Endo and Shinji Okazaki all scored to ensure a 3-1 victory and qualify Japan for the knockout stages.
