Samurai Blue: Japan & the 2026 World Cup

1. Who they are

Japan’s men’s national team, run by the Japan Football Association (JFA), is known worldwide as the Samurai Blue.¹ The supporters are part of the story: clad in blue, famous for their choreographed backing — and, since the 1998 World Cup, for cleaning the stadium after every match, a habit that has become a global talking point.³

2. The record: four times to the last 16

Japan reached their first World Cup in 1998 — late for such a big country — and lost all three games. Since then they have qualified for every single World Cup, now eight in a row.² Their ceiling, though, has been stubborn: the round of 16, reached four times (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) and never passed. The 2018 exit stung most — 2–0 up on Belgium, they lost 3–2.²

But the 2022 Qatar campaign rewrote what’s possible. Drawn in a “group of death,” Japan came from behind to beat Germany 2–1, then Spain 2–1 — topping the group and knocking both former world champions out.⁴ Only a penalty shoot-out against Croatia (after another comeback) ended the run.⁵ That fortnight turned belief into expectation.

3. The manager & the 2050 dream

Hajime Moriyasu has coached Japan since July 2018. A three-time J.League title winner with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, he reached his 100th match in charge in November 2025 and remains at the helm for 2026.⁶ His football is pragmatic and adaptable — press high or sit deep and counter, depending on the opponent.

He is also open about the bigger target. The JFA’s “2050 pledge” is to host and win a World Cup by 2050, with a nearer milestone of a semifinal by 2030. Moriyasu calls winning it a “very, very high goal” — while knowing the immediate job is to finally break the last-16 barrier.⁷

4. The 2026 squad

Moriyasu named his 26-man squad on 15 May 2026, and it is the most overseas-based in Japan’s history: only three players are at J.League clubs; the other 23 are spread across England, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and beyond.⁸

The headline names (clubs as of the May 2026 squad announcement — verify before the tournament):

• Wataru Endo (Liverpool) — the captain and midfield anchor.
• Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) — the marquee creator, even more so now.
• Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) & Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt) — the latter scored both 2022 winners over Germany and Spain.
• Ao Tanaka (Leeds), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ko Itakura & Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Daizen Maeda (Celtic).
• Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo) — at 39, set to become the first Japanese (and first Asian) player at five World Cups.

5. The group & fixtures

Japan were the first nation in the world to qualify for 2026, sealing it on 20 March 2025 with a 2–0 win over Bahrain — months ahead of most.¹⁰ They are drawn in Group F, alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia:¹¹

⚠ Fixtures and kick-off times come from multiple corroborating previews but can be adjusted; in Japan the local dates are a day later. Always check the official FIFA fixtures & results for the live schedule.¹¹

6. Why this is the best chance yet

Three reasons Japan’s ceiling could finally lift:

• European depth. With 23 of 26 playing weekly in Europe’s top leagues, this isn’t a side that merely competes with the elite — it has beaten Germany, Spain, Brazil and England since 2022, including a 1–0 win at Wembley in March 2026, the first time an Asian team has beaten England at home.¹²
• Peak age profile. Kubo, Ito, Ueda, Tanaka and Doan are entering their primes, with Endo’s experience to steer them.
• A winnable group. The Netherlands opener is the real test; Sweden and Tunisia are sides Japan will fancy — a route to the knockouts and a shot at that elusive quarterfinal.

The flip side is honest: four last-16 exits weigh on the mind, and losing Mitoma hurts. But for the first time, expectations at home genuinely point beyond the round of 16.¹²

7. How to follow it

Official squad news and match reports are on the JFA’s Samurai Blue page; live fixtures, results and standings are on FIFA’s official World Cup site. Broadcast arrangements vary by country.⁸