Japan set incredibly bold target for 2026 World Cup

Japan have never gone beyond the round of 16 at a World Cup but Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, the country’s top football official, has set his sights on reaching the final of next year’s tournament in North America.

Japan Football Association president Miyamoto says the four-times Asian champions have the experience and depth of talent in the squad to make a major impact at the first 48-team World Cup, which is being hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in March and will bring a squad packed with players plying their trade at some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Wataru Endo at Liverpool and Ritsu Doan at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Recording their first-ever win over five-times world champions Brazil in a friendly last month has only fuelled their ambition further.

“The players are all playing football in Europe, in the Champions League, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, and they know how they should play against big teams and great players,” said Miyamoto, a former national team captain.

“This kind of confidence will show something new to the world, we hope. What we can do is prepare for the World Cup, for the team to reach where we want to.”

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Japan have played at every World Cup since making their debut in 1998 but have never reached the quarter-finals while no Asian nation has ever advanced to the final, South Korea coming closest on home soil in 2002 with a run to the semis.

Miyamoto played in the Philippe Troussier-coached side who were eliminated by Turkey in the last 16 that same year when Japan co-hosted the finals, and the country lost at the same stage in 2010, 2018 and 2022.

Their elimination in Qatar three years ago came in a penalty shoot-out against Croatia at a tournament where the Samurai Blue had defeated both Germany and Spain in the group phase.

“We need to get through the round of 16, but they’ve got the confidence to advance further, maybe until the final,” Miyamoto said. “If they want that, I would support them.

“Twenty years ago we couldn’t say that. Ten years ago Keisuke (Honda), Yuto (Nagatomo) said the aim was to be champions. Maybe 10 years ago it sounded surprising.”

Coach Hajime Moriyasu thinks Japan are not quite ready to win a World Cup but believes a place in the final is not out the question, said Miyamoto.

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“Our coach, during our meetings, he says all the time that we are not a real candidate to win the World Cup but he says, at the same time, we might have a chance to get to the final,” added Miyamoto.

“Everybody has a new chapter. There are reasons that we can accept the team will be able to.”

Moriyasu will be coaching Japan for the second time at a World Cup and is likely to select a squad including at least 10 of the players who featured in 2022, and Miyamoto feels the team will benefit from the lessons learned in Qatar.

“Those kind of experiences are very important to get to a new level,” said the former central defender.

“Some players who are still playing for the national team have had certain experiences that they can share with the new players during the World Cup. We can share the burden, the load.”

Reuters