Japan can fully focus on one goal – the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The round of qualifiers is over, and Japan dominated their group, although they lost their first match-ever in the whole qualifying process (against Australia in Perth). They then rounded up their campaign with a 6-0 home win against Indonesia, in which we saw some new faces, different scorers, and Takefusa Kubo not only wearing the no. 10, but being the captain (despite Wataru Endo playing).
It’s all work in progress towards the great goal – the next year’s tournament, in which Japan has some objectives. That objective, though, may differ depending on whom you ask. For the players, the goal is to win the World Cup – many of them have been clear about this, not as a boutade. For me, if you ask, the goal should be surviving an incredibly complicated 48-teams tournament in the heat of the North America, and try to finally reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup showed that Japan can do it – we came a few penalties away from throwing out Croatia, who then went to clinch third place. We won a group with Germany and Spain, winning against both of them (and losing the easiest match against Costa Rica, in the classic Japanese style). We have a group of affirmed players, and many more will just improve in the next year (with a few even moving to leap even higher).
But now the question runs deep – who’s gonna suit up and a book a ticket for that flight to North America? With one year left, and Hajime Moriyasu more prepared than last time around, we thought of asking ourselves who might have a ticket for this travel, which open seats are still available, who could be a total surprise (like Yoshito Okubo in 2014), and who is out of the picture, but either should or could be considered.
The Booked Tickets (22/26)
With 26 spots available, I think we can nail down most of them (unless injuries or really bad slumps of form intervene in the next 12 months). Let’s start with the keepers – despite a disappointing AFC Asian Cup, Zion Suzuki will probably start. And we have to look at his progress next Summer, because I have the feeling he might not stay in Parma. The back-up is Keisuke Osako from Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and that shouldn’t be doubted either.
Starting with a 3-4-2-1 (you pick in your mind how offensive-driven that should be), central defenders are also an easy path to establish. Hiroki Ito moved to Bayern Munich, and he’s now recovering from an injury. Speaking of injuries, if he’s free from them, Takahiro Tomiyasu will be needed and will start. To complete that trio, Ko Itakura should be the man – and let’s see how his Summer will round up, since there’s a lot of interest for him to move out of Gladbach.
Reserves are also kind of easy to establish. Koki Machida just won the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium with Union Saint-Gilloise, and played a lot of qualifiers when Tomiyasu wasn’t available. Kota Takai featured way less in the qualifiers (only four games, three of them came after clinching WC-ticket), but he’s the next gem of Kawasaki Frontale and he could be leaving – Udinese and FC Copenhagen are onto him, tough he’ll stay in Japan over the Summer.
To complete this trio, Tsuyoshi Watanabe should be the man – with the former FC Tokyo being on the move as well, ready to leave Gent. And speaking of defenders, although he’s a full-wing, Yukinari Sugawara will definitely be involved. He’s a really good player, he’s useful when Moriyasu will have to face stronger teams and play a bit more defensively. Sugawara could also leave Southampton for a side higher in the rankings, let’s see what will happen.
Going into the midfield, the two central holding positions are pretty set. Wataru Endo will take over from Maya Yoshida, becoming the next captain for Japan at the World Cup. Alongside him, surely Hidemasa Morita – although both should leave respectively Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon, very curious to see where they’ll land. As reserve, Ao Tanaka had a wonderful season at Leeds and he could be always be used to complete a trio of central midfielders when needed.
On the wings, the four names are basically sealed since the start of qualifying. Kaoru Mitoma will be “the” guy for me at the World Cup – he could have been already in 2022, but Moriyasu didn’t start him. That must change. On the other flank, Ritsu Doan has been already the hero in Qatar with his goals against Germany and Spain. Both of them could play against each other next season – Mitoma has been studied by Bayern Munich, while Doan is expected to leave Freiburg (possibly to join Eintracht Frankfurt).
Behind them, the subs are already established and they both play for Stade Reims (for now – the side got relegated from Ligue 1). One is Keito Nakamura, who had a wonderful season and he’s clearly ready for a step up the ladder. The other one was the hero of the previous qualifying campaign, because Junya Ito covered that role perfectly. He’s now 32, he’s in the group because of his previous achievements, and other options are better. But still, he deserves to be in the list.
Then we have the two behind the strikers. On the left side, two names are already there, and they’ll form an interesting dualism. Daichi Kamada had a strange career path after leaving Frankfurt for Lazio, but then joined Crystal Palace, won a FA Cup and he seems back on track. Takumi Minamino initially disappointed with AS Monaco, but he’s back on form, and he’s in the Top 10 all-time for goals scoring with the national team.
Last but not least, the kid who’s expected to blow everyone away. It’s been almost 10 years since Takefusa Kubo debuted in an Autumn afternoon as a pro, playing for FC Tokyo U-23 at the age of 15 against Nagano Parceiro. He went through his rise with FC Tokyo, four different teams in LaLiga and now he should be moving on from Real Sociedad. But most of all, he’s just 24 and he’s seen it all – including a first World Cup in 2022, where he wasn’t a starter. This should definitely change now.
What about up front? Well, in the no. 9 position, no more struggles. Yes, Ayase Ueda has to find proper pitch time at Feyenoord, but he scored eight goals in the qualifiers. To support that, Koki Ogawa scored six, and he’ll probably move on from NEC Nijmegen after two solid seasons. To round up the department, there’s no way Moriyasu he’s not bringing Daizen Maeda – who grants pressing, speed, can cover multiple positions, and now also bags a lot of goals (he scored 33 of them in 2024-25, and won Player of the Year at Celtic).
The Open Seats (4)
If the numbers serve you right, incredibly, we’ve left with just four seats. And the questions should also be which scope we should pursue with these four open seats. Well, one seems easy – another keeper. And within a certain range of probability, it’ll be Kosei Tani covering that slot. The former wonderkid from Gamba Osaka didn’t work out in Europe, but he’s become a solid no. 1 for Machida Zelvia, and we see no reasons why he shouldn’t fit the third keeper bill.
With three seats left, what Moriyasu actually needs? It depends. Do the Samurai Blue need an extra man as a centre-back? Well, then there are some names who could fit that description. Ayumu Seko, for example, moved to Switzerland in the general silence, and he’s been there four years. Moriyasu counted on him for four WCQs matches, including a tough one in China. Shogo Taniguchi, as well, was heavily involved in the WCQ campaign, although he’s now 34 and injured.
If Moriyasu wanted someone more versatile, who could play both CB and WB, there are three names for that. Yuta Nakayama played 5.5 years in Europe and he was basically World Cup-bound for 2022, until an injury kept him out. He came back to Japan, now featuring for Machida Zelvia. He played a lot of matches in the previous WCQ campaign, but just the opening match against Myanmar in the 2026 WCQs.
Then you have the new kid on the block – Hiroki Sekine, who also played for Kashiwa Reysol and was the third Japanese to sign for Stade Reims. He could actually stay, and he just debuted for Japan in the away loss against Australia. In the end, you have as well Henry Heroki Mochizuki, also featuring for Machida Zelvia and who’s been the real news in these last rounds of call-ups. He hasn’t been called-up since October 2024, but he’s rising fast.
Last but not least among defenders, let’s not forget that history might be made. No Japanese players ever featured in five World Cups, but Yuto Nagatomo could be the first to do so. The 38 years-old full-back is clearly not anymore fit to start or being a first back-up, but he’s been called-up by Moriyasu as recently as the match against North Korea – I guess with a role of guide among the kids. I wouldn’t rule out to see this happening.
Going up the field, Kaishu Sano is the name to talk about. His adventure with Mainz 05 has been going really well, despite a few personal problems were a cloud over his start. He’s now incredibly valued on Transfermarkt, and Mainz will also play the UEFA Conference League. Among the midfielders we’re gonna mention in this section, he’s probably the only one who won’t need to move at all this upcoming Summer.
Speaking of moves, the adventure of Reo Hatate might come to an end with Celtic Glasgow. He’s been there 3.5 years, won a lot of trophies – it’d be time to move on, especially because Moriyasu isn’t considering him enough despite Hatate being a unique Swiss knife of a player. Other candidates for a spot could be Ryoya Morishita (who just scored against Indonesia and should find a new club after his Polish adventure) and Joel Chima Fujita (who’s been followed by some Bundesliga teams).
And then… the forwards. Two main names, I’d say. The first is Mao Hosoya, who’s still at Kashiwa Reysol, but I’d be surprised to see him staying beyond Summer. His current season isn’t going so well, but that’s because the head coach is also rotating a lot the strikers. Hosoya scored twice in the WCQ matches (against Syria and Indonesia) and he’s definitely ready for a European leap after 4.5 seasons as a starter in J1.
The second option is more palatable, because I had already praised his skills, but Shuto Machino was among the Top 5 Japanese players in 2024-25. After helping Holstein Kiel reaching the Bundesliga, Machino scored 11 goals in a team who came last in the table. That was impressive and it’s not an accident that several Bundesliga teams are following him. Machino rounded this season up with a wonderful performance against Indonesia – one goal and two assists.
The Waiting List
And that’s the list of the ones closer to the flight, but Moriyasu could also have a change of heart in the next 12 months. And some names could take advantage of it – starting from Taishi Brandon Nozawa. The FC Tokyo keeper is on the verge of moving to Belgium, and a solid season could give him the chance of stealing the third slot as a goalkeeper (he was also looked by the USMNT). Among defenders, there are some options to evaluate.
Daiki Hashioka seems to have lost his mojo with the choice of joining Luton Town, who just went through a double relegation. Seiya Maikuma had a decent campaign with AZ Alkmaar, but nothing worth of taking a spot. Haruya Fujii followed Watanabe’s steps, signing with Kortrijk – nothing major. Sota Miura was an intelligent investment by Kawasaki Frontale, but the left-back wasn’t called up since January 2024.
The only one from this list who could maybe be a surprise name could be Junnosuke Suzuki from Shonan Bellmare, who’s been scouted perfectly by Ryo Nakagawara. I could see him entering the list, especially if a couple of injuries will hit the center-backs department. It’s a different story instead for the midfielders, where the waiting list is even longer – especially if you consider all the players that featured in the last round of WCQs and who could be involved in the EAFF E-1 Championship in three weeks.
Kota Tawaratsumida is a star at FC Tokyo, but he’s a diamond in the rough. Kodai Sano is doing well with NEC Nijmegen, but he needs time too. Yu Hirawaka has done well with Bristol City, but the wingers department is so stacked. Same goes for Shunsuke Mito – who’s been praised before on these pages, but the competition is hard. Ryotaro Ito is doing okay at Sint-Truiden, but maybe I was expecting more after seeing him sending the whole league on fire with Albirex Niigata.
And then there are three particular cases. Ryonosuke Sato is just 18 years old – FC Tokyo rate him highly, he’s doing well with Fagiano Okayama, but he’s no Take Kubo. Koki Kumasaka could be a real player to watch for the next years, but he just got injured. And then there’s Takumu Kawamura – who IMHO had a real chance to be at the 2026 World Cup until a year ago, when he joined Red Bull Salzburg. But the club is in disarray and he injured himself twice in his rookie season.
Finally, the strikers. Also for this one – I don’t see any space, and the names are not revolutionary. The curse put by Takuma Asano on Hajime Moriyasu in his Sanfrecce Hiroshima days is finally wearing off, especially after a season with two (!) goals in 21 games with Mallorca. Yuki Ohashi has done well with Blackburn Rovers, but I’m seeing him more as a folk hero in the Championship rather than real Samurai Blue-material.
Yuito Suzuki might actually be the joker in here. If Kamada or Minamino get injured or don’t perform in 2025-26, he might squeak in – especially if he can follow-up what he’s done in Denmark with his new club, SC Freiburg. The potential is definitely there, and that was seeable already with Shimizu S-Pulse.
Flight Forbidden
Besides all this long list, there are still players who could be worth mentioning and/or have been called-up by Moriyasu, but who probably won’t even see the tail of this flight. Keepers-wise, Daiya Maekawa from Vissel Kobe and Daniel Schmidt from Nagoya Grampus have been used, but no-go for them. Ryosuke Kojima is the great absent here, also given how good he’s doing with Kashiwa Reysol – a last chance might come at the EAFF E-1 Championship.
Same for defenders – Riku Handa was initially a prospect and even rumored to move to AS Roma in Italy, but he’s still at Gamba Osaka. Shinnosuke Nakatani doesn’t have anything less than the current back-ups from the national team, but he’s 29 years old and he hasn’t featured with Japan since 2022. Kashif Bangnagande was supposed to be the heir of Nagatomo both for FC Tokyo and the national team, but that hans’t worked out at all.
Furthermore, Yuki Soma was another attentioned name, but his adventure in Portugal didn’t go well and now he seems on his way to become a full-time J.Leaguer with Machida Zelvia. Another who had an experience in Europe was Hayao Kawabe – who had his time between Switzerland and Belgium, and how decided to pick up Toshihiro Aoyama’s number and legacy with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the club who launched him in the first place.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto is for me another great talent, but the “Koji Miyoshi problem” is there: he’ll have a satisfying European career, he’s been really good for Coventry City, but I don’t see him taking a spot in this team, now or in the future. And last but not least, the curious case of Atsuki Ito – actually one of the few good prospects that Urawa Red Diamonds produced in the last decade. Ito featured a lot with Gent in his rookie season, but he disappeared from Moriyasu’s rotation in the last 18 months.
Finally, the striker position – with two big elephants in the room. One is probably gone for good, although his skills would have deserved something different. Kyoto Furuhashi is not any more a topic for Japan after he left Celtic for Rennes last Winter. Unfortunately, Kyogo – a wonderful player, gifted with good technique, intuition and a vision for football – picked the wrong team, and there are even talks of him going back to the UK. 23 caps, 5 goals and he just turned 30 years old – no glory with the Samurai Blue.
And then there’s another case, in which the blindness from Moriyasu is not understandable: Yuma Suzuki. The 29 years-old striker has been solid in Europe, then came back to Kashima Antlers, and he’s now the heart-and-soul of a possible championship team. Suzuki could be easily into the list of 26 players, and starting him wouldn’t be a crime… but Moriyasu has set up his mind a long time ago about the antics of the striker, judging not worth of the national team (which is strange, when you think about Sano getting forgiveness).
Wild Cards
Is there possible to even have more name left after these four categories? Well, yes – that’s the greatness of Japan and its development in football. But these names haven’t been called up once by Moriyasu, so we would be really surprised to see them into any conversation. For example, Leo Kokubo has been around the U23 team, and played his first year with Sint-Truiden, but not enough to be called up by Moriyasu.
Keigo Tsunemoto left Kashima Antlers for Servette FC, and he’s having a good impact in Switzerland since 2023. Makoto Mitsuta was supposed to be the “next big thing” after an incredible rookie season and now he’s been loaned from Sanfrecce Hiroshima to Gamba Osaka. Koki Saito had an excellent tournament in the 2024 Olympic Games, but he’s still at QPR. And Ryotaro Araki – after an impressive loan to FC Tokyo – came back to Kashima Antlers to NOT start matches.
Among these names, only two wild cards would actually make it in my opinion. One is Kuryu Matsuki, Japan’s “Captain Future” – who enjoyed a nice loan to Götzepe FK from Southampton, and now he’s got to understand what’s his next step. The second would be Keita Kosugi – whose story is super fascinating. Class 2006, Kosugi came through the youth ranks of Shonan Bellmare, but then left Bellmare in 2022 to join Djurgården. A move that paid off, since Kosugi is now watched by all major teams in Europe.
In general, we could make a forecast and try to guess how the team will look like in 2026 for the World Cup. It’d be a pretty good, but unexperienced team on the biggest stage – it’d be the first squad with just one player at the third World Cup (Wataru Endo in 2026; last time it was in 2006, with Yasuhito Endo). But don’t quote us on it – forecasts are there just to fail.
GK: Suzuki (1st World Cup), Osako (1st WC), Tani (1st WC)
DF: Itakura (2nd WC), H. Ito (2nd WC), Tomiyasu (2nd WC), Machida (1st WC), Watanabe (1st WC), K. Takai (1st WC), Sugawara (1st WC), Kosugi (1st WC)
MF: Morita (2nd WC), W. Endo (3rd WC), Ka. Sano (1st WC), Tanaka (2nd WC), J. Ito (2nd WC), Doan (2nd WC), Mitoma (2nd WC), K. Nakamura (1st WC), T. Kubo (2nd WC), Kamada (2nd WC), Minamino (2nd WC)
FW: D. Maeda (2nd WC), K. Ogawa (1st WC), Ueda (2nd WC), Machino (2nd WC)
