Japan will hope to break their recent trend of World Cup performances this winter, though they face a tough task in Group E as they go up against Germany, Spain and Costa Rica.
Since first playing at the tournament in 1998, Japan’s record has read: group-stage exit, last-16 defeat, group-stage exit, last-16 defeat, group-stage exit, last-16 defeat.
That form suggests another early flight home for the national team, and given the stiffness of competition in their group, there would be no surprise or shame in that. But coach Hajime Moriyasu, who played for Japan between 1992 and 1996, will look to help his country replicate their spirited showing from the 2018 World Cup as he manages the side at a world championship for the first time.
In Russia, Japan qualified behind Colombia in the group stage – despite beating the South American team – to set up a last-16 encounter with Belgium. Japan led 2-0 but suffered a heartbreaking, last-gasp 3-2 defeat by the eventual third-place finishers.
Can they escape a difficult group and even go one better than they did four years ago?
Here is everything you need to know:
Group fixtures (all times GMT)
Wednesday 23 November: Germany vs Japan – 16:00
Sunday 27 November: Japan vs Costa Rica – 13:00
Thursday 1 December: Japan vs Spain – 22:00
Confirmed squad
Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Daniel Schmidt (Sint Truiden), Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse)
Defenders: Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Red Diamonds), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Hiroki Ito (VfB Stuttgart), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo)
Midfielders: Junya Ito (Stade de Reims), Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg), Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus)
Forwards: Takuma Asano (Vfl Bochum), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge), Shuto Machino (Shonan Bellmare)
Ones to watch
Star – Takumi Minamino: The versatile forward, who joined Monaco from Liverpool this summer, is perhaps Japan’s most high-profile active player, alongside Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu. Minamo, 27, has already struck 17 goals for his national team in 43 outings, and his compatriots back home will be counting on him to step up again here at his first World Cup.
Breakout talent – Daichi Kamada: The attacking midfielder has six goals from 21 international caps, and at club level this season he already looks set to surpass the number of goals and assists that he registered for Eintracht Frankfurt last term. As Kamada showed in Frankfurt’s triumphant Europa League run in 2021/22, the 26-year-old is a real threat going forward, and he will hope to demonstrate that in Qatar.
Odds to win the World Cup (taken from Betfair)
250/1
Prediction
At least one of the ‘big’ footballing nations tends to fall at the first hurdle at a major tournament, and Japan will hope that either Spain or Germany misfire this winter. That is Japan’s best hope of progressing to the knockout stages, though – on paper – they are likely to finish behind those two nations and bow out early. Knocked out in the group stage.
