The Japanese national team, known as the Blue Samurai, has unveiled a formidable 26-man squad for the commencement of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The squad features European-based stars, including Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma and Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo, as they prepare to face Myanmar and Syria.
The Blue Samurai, who made it to the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, only to be defeated by Croatia in a penalty shootout, are determined to make a strong start in their qualifying matches. They are scheduled to play against Myanmar in Osaka on November 16 and then face Syria on neutral ground in Jeddah five days later.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu emphasised the importance of squad depth, stating, "There is a chance that we could pick up injuries in these two games, so having 26 players should allow us to overcome that." He intends to assess the players' conditions and rotate the squad if necessary.
The squad includes well-known names such as Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu, Liverpool's Wataru Endo, and Celtic duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda. Additionally, Lazio's Daichi Kamada has returned to the national team after missing recent friendly matches in October.
Japan has been in impressive form since the last World Cup, winning their last six games with 24 goals scored and just five conceded. Notably, they secured convincing away victories over Turkey and Germany, which contributed to the departure of Germany's coach, Hansi Flick.
Moriyasu is determined to maintain this momentum in the World Cup qualifiers and is focused on continuous improvement. He stated, "We want to take six points from these two games, and we will prepare as best we can to do so."
The squad is comprised of talented players from various European clubs, reflecting Japan's ambition to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup and build a strong future for their national team.
