Japan look for more big scalps at 2026 World Cup but without several key men

Injury hit Japan will head to the World Cup this summer with a strong squad and in good form, but without several key players.

The Samurai Blues have won their last five matches in the lead up to the World Cup beating Scotland , Brazil and England 1-0 at Wembley in that run.

However, forwards Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton and Monaco's Takumi Minamino will both miss the tournament with injury; the Seagulls winger arguably Japan’s most talented player.

Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said his squad had lost "a major presence" in Mitoma, adding: "This will hurt him more than it hurts anyone."

Wataru Endo has been included in the squad but has not featured for club side Liverpool since sustaining a foot injury against Sunderland on February 11.

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“I would be shocked if Endo features in a big capacity, but he’s a leader, the captain of the team and so he’ll be integral,” Kento Hagimara of the Asian Football Show told our Make Football Great Again podcast.

Endo has 72 caps for his country, but others have deputised in his absence.

“The midfield pairing of Daichi Kamada and Kaishu Sano has worked really well without him,” Kento said.

Daichi Kamada is a name familiar to Premier League fans, spending the last two seasons at Crystal Palace . He has performed excellently alongside Adam Wharton in the UEFA Conference League as Palace won their first European trophy. Sano meanwhile plays for Bundesliga outfit Mainz.

Another option in midfield for Japan is Leeds’ Ao Tanaka. He has only started 13 Premier League games this season but showed his combativity in Leeds’ Championship winning side.

Minamino and Mitoma would likely have been competing for the same spot as one of Japan’s dual number 10’s. Their setup is likely to be a 3-4-2-1 system, with advanced wingbacks playing a key role.

“You’re scrambling to see who starts next to Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo,” Kento said.

Kubo had a stellar youth career as part of Barcelona and Real Madrid ’s youth setup, but he never made an appearance for either club. He has found a home at Real Sociedad, where he has scored 25 goals in 164 games, but is yet to announce himself on the international stage.

“It’s one of those where he didn’t show up a lot in the last tournament,” Kento said. But, if Japan are to break their knockout duck, players like Kubo will have to play their part.

One option to fill the void left by Mitoma and Minamino is Celtic’s Daizen Maeda. He ended the Scottish Premiership season in spectacular form, scoring seven goals in his final six games, including the goal that clinched the title against Hearts.

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Another name in the squad familiar to Premier League fans will be former Arsenal full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu. He has not featured for Japan since a 5-0 win over Syria in June 2024. Having left Arsenal last summer, he spent the second half of this season at Ajax, where he is working his way back to full fitness after an injury ravaged few seasons.

Manager Moriyasu has led the team since 2018. In doing so, he has become the nation’s longest serving manager.

In recent years, Japan have secured excellent one-off results and racked up some impressive scores in AFC qualifying.

“He’s had great individual results... but he has not been able to do much in knockout football,” Kento said about Moriyashu. Japan have failed to win the Asian Cup in three attempts since 2011, despite being one of Asian football’s biggest powerhouses.

Japan have become mainstays at the World Cup since their first appearance at the tournament in 1998. Despite progressing out of the group stage four times, they have failed to win any of their knockout games.

The aim for this tournament therefore must be to reach the last 16 and end that unwanted record. In a group with Sweden, the Netherlands and Tunisia, Japan will be in with a good chance of progressing. The current Fifa World Rankings have Japan as the second strongest team in their group.

“The quality is definitely there. I’m more concerned about depth.

“I don’t think there’s a single team in this group going into it and expecting to finish third.

“If they can get past the round of 32, they can make it to the quarter-finals. The round of 32 game looks harder than the round of 16 game,” Kento said.

If Japan do progress from the group, they could meet Spain or Morocco in the Round of 32. With Spain the reigning European Champions and Morocco semi-finalists at the last World Cup in Qatar , either opponent would be a daunting task.

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