Japan are at their eighth World Cup, all of which have come in one run. They’ve made it to the last-16 in four of those tournaments, including each of the last two.
Samurai Blue were knocked out on penalties in the last-16 in 2022, so will be hoping to avoid similar heartbreak this time around.
Get all the latest Japan stats as the tournament unfolds plus the latest squad, manager and fixture information for the Asian side here.
Japan route to the World Cup
Japan cruised their way into an eighth successive World Cup, finishing top of Round Two Group B with six wins from six, 24 goals scored and none conceded. That was followed by just one defeat in 10 games as Japan topped Group C in Round Three, finishing above the likes of Australia and Saudi Arabia.
Japan World Cup 2026 fixtures
Japan will get their toughest group fixture out of the way first, taking on the Netherlands in Arlington on 14th June. It’s then two must-win ties against Tunisia and Sweden which could dictate whether Japan finish second, make it through as one of the best third-place teams, or crash out altogether.
READ MORE: Get the latest Japan World Cup 2026 outright odds here
Japan key players for World Cup 2026
Japan top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Ayase Ueda
- Key stat: Ayase Ueda has scored 22 goals in 25 Eredivisie appearances this season.
For club and country, Ayase Ueda has been on fire this season. The 27-year-old striker has scored 22 goals in 25 Eredivisie appearances for Feyenoord, alongside another strike in the Europa League. And at international level, he’s bagged five strikes in his last 11 caps since June 2025, including three in five World Cup qualifiers during that time.
Japan primary playmaker: Junya Ito
- Key stat: Only Akram Afif (11) provided more assists than Junya Ito (10) during the Asian section of World Cup qualifying.
Veteran Genk winger Junya Ito pulled out all the stops during World Cup qualifying. The 33-year-old provided 10 assists in just nine appearances, which is made all the more remarkable considering he only started two of them and played 395 minutes.
Ito has continued that creative streak more recently, providing three assists in two friendly appearances against Brazil and Paraguay in October, surely now doing enough to secure his starting spot.
Japan card magnet & top tackler: Daichi Kamada
- Key stat: Daichi Kamada averaged a team-high 2.1 tackles per 90 minutes during World Cup qualifying.
During his time in Europe, Diachi Kamada was best-known for his goalscoring and creative exploits, but since joining Crystal Palace in 2024, he’s become an industrious midfield force with clean technical ability.
Kamada averaged a team-high 2.1 tackles per 90 minutes during World Cup qualifying, with only Wataru Endo (16) making more tackles (15) overall. Kamada also committed 1.2 fouls per 90 (third among Japan players) and was one of just eight Japanese players to pick up a yellow card — nobody was shown more than one.
Japan rising star: Kento Shiogai
Kento Shiogai has adjusted brilliantly to life in Europe since arriving at NEC Breda in 2024. His form for the Dutch side earned him a move to the Bundesliga and the 21-year-old has gone from strength to strength.
Kitano picked up his first senior cap against Scotland in March and followed that up with an appearance against Iceland in May. He will now be pushing to book his spot in the starting eleven for this summer.
STAND-OUT STAT: Japan scored more goals than any other team in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with a total of 51
Set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Ayase Ueda
- Free-kicks: Takefusa Kubo/Daichi Kamada
- Corners: Takefusa Kubo/Ritsu Doan/Junya Ito
Japan tactical analysis and formation
Team stats (World Cup qualifying)
- Corners: 108
- Shots on target: 6.9
- GK saves: 1.0
- Average possession: 69.2%
Japan usually line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with a team full of quality.
Tsuyoshi Watanabe marshals the defence and could be joined in the back three by Bayern Munich’s Hiroki Ito and potentially former Arsenal man Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Wataru Endo offers vast experience and battling quality in midfield. Further forward, however, there’s a fierce battle between the likes of Takefusa Kubo, Junya Ito, Ritsu Doan, Kaoru Mitoma and Takumi Minamino for the spots behind Ueda.
Only South Korea (75.8%) averaged more possession than Japan (69.2%) among Asian teams in World Cup qualifying, and apart from the game against the Netherlands, the Blue Samurai will look to dominate matches and patiently break down the opposition.
Get the latest Japan World Cup goals, assists, shots, passes and tackle stats here
Japan manager analysis
Hajime Moriyasu is fast-approaching eight years as Japan manager, taking charge following the 2018 World Cup.
Since then, he’s won 70 and lost just 17 of his 101 games in charge, enjoying a strong 2022 World Cup, reaching the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final, and winning two EAFF E-1 Football Championship titles.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hajime Moriyasu | Japan | 101 | 70 | 14 | 17 | 249 | 73 | 69.31% |
Japan World Cup FAQs
Have Japan ever won the World Cup?
Japan have never won the World Cup, with the round of 16 their best performance to date.
Where did Japan finish in the last World Cup?
Japan finished above European giants Spain and Germany to top their group at the last World Cup, but lost on penalties to Croatia in the last 16 after a 1-1 draw.
Who will be the Japan captain at the World Cup?
Wataru Endo will captain Japan at the World Cup, as long as he stays fit.
Who is Japan’s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?
Legendary midfielder Keisuke Honda is Japan’s top goalscorer at the World Cup with four goals. The former AC Milan playmaker is the only Japanese player with more than two goals at the competition.
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