The last time Japan faced European opposition at a World Cup, they beat Germany and Spain in the group stage and drew 1-1 with Croatia in the round of 16 before being eliminated on penalties. This summer, the Samurai Blue are back, unbeaten in their past nine matches against European sides, and they open their campaign against the Netherlands on Sunday at 21:00 BST.
Few nations look better equipped for a deep run in the expanded 48-team tournament than Japan, whose blend of individual quality, recent form and experience makes them one of the most intriguing outsiders. After topping Group E in 2022, they have now been drawn with the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia in Group F — a group they will fancy their chances of winning.
“Japan, unbeaten in nine matches against European sides, target first quarter-final as they face Netherlands in World Cup opener.”
Maya Yoshida, who captained Japan at the last World Cup, is now a 37-year-old non-playing support player providing leadership behind the scenes. He has set the bar high. “For me, reaching the quarter-finals — a stage we’ve never reached or even experienced before — is the main goal,” Yoshida told BBC Sport. “Anything beyond that would be a bonus.”
Manager Hajime Moriyasu is even more ambitious. Earlier this year, he told World Soccer Magazine: “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. For me the task is to bring out the best in the players. We do have a lot of injuries but we have also proven that we have the squad to produce our best regardless of who plays.”
Among the players Moriyasu can call upon are Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada and Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka, part of a squad that became the first non-host nation to secure their spot at the finals after an almost perfect qualifying campaign. The Netherlands, three-time World Cup finalists, will provide a stern test on Sunday night — but Japan have already shown they can beat the best. The question is whether they can finally go beyond the round of 16 for the first time in eight appearances.