Japan

Japan enter World Cup 2026 in Group F, where the early tests are Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia. Japan have never won the World Cup, but they have reached the Round of 16 in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022. The next target is a first quarterfinal appearance. The current squad is shaped around Takefusa Kubo, Kaoru Mitoma, and Wataru Endo, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. This group will test Japan's balance between technique and physical resistance. Kubo and Mitoma can tilt matches, while Endo's control gives them a credible route to another knockout push. If Japan can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.