Japan JPN

Japan arrive at the 2026 World Cup as one of the AFC's most compelling representatives, sitting 18th in the FIFA rankings under the steady stewardship of manager Hajime Moriyasu. The Samurai Blue have quietly built into a side that demands respect, and this tournament feels like the moment they could finally silence those who still file them under "nearly men."

Perennial dark horses capable of causing genuine shocks, Japan head to the competition on the back of impressive warm-up results that have fuelled a very real belief they can break new ground and reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

The foundation of their threat is collective rather than individual. Moriyasu has cultivated a cohesive unit that presses relentlessly from the front within a settled system, and crucially, the squad depth now exists to sustain that intensity across multiple knockout rounds — something that has tested them in previous tournaments.

The road will not be straightforward, however. The absence of Kaoru Mitoma through injury is a significant blow, stripping them of one of their most dynamic and unpredictable attacking outlets. Compounding that, the group draw has handed them three experienced and physical opponents, meaning Japan will need to be at their sharpest from the opening whistle.

The players to watch span every line of the pitch: goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, defenders Ko Itakura, Yuto Nagatomo, Hiroki Ito, and Kento Shiogai, midfielders Wataru Endo, Ao Tanaka, and Junnosuke Suzuki, and attackers Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan. If that group fires as a unit, Japan are more than capable of making the world take notice once again.