Japan World Cup 2026: Can Japan win a knockout game for the first time?

Japan have appeared at every World Cup since 1998, but they are yet to go beyond the first knockout round - something they will hope to change as they travel to North America. 

They landed a big shock in Qatar as they beat Germany in the group stage, but they were unfortunate to be knocked out by a stubborn Croatian outfit on penalties. Below you can find my Japan World Cup 2026 preview, as I predict how they will fare. 

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Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Zion Suzuka (Parma Calcio).

Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden), Ko Itakura (Ajax), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre AC), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen), Junosuke Suzuki (FC Copenhagen).

Midfielders: Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Junya Ito (Genk), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Koki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Kaishu Sano (Mainz 05), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad).

Forwards: Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims), Ito Suzuki (SC Freiburg), Kento Shiode (Wolfsburg), Keisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden).

The big news from Japan’s World Cup squad is the absence of Brighton and Hove Albion star Kaoru Mitoma, who has been left out due to his recent hamstring injury. It’s a big blow for Japan, but this is a squad with remarkable strength in depth.

World Cup Odds

Ayase Ueda should feature heavily up top after a remarkable season with Feyenoord saw him score 25 goals in 31 league games. Daizen Maeda and Takefusa Kubo will also want to get amongst the goals, but the midfield looks very strong indeed. 

Wataru Endo, Daichi Kamada and Ao Tanaka all have quality and Premier League experience while Ritsu Doan was an important figure for Eintracht Frankfurt. Hiroki Ito and Yukinari Sugawara are also Bundesliga regulars in defence, so there’s a lot of talent playing in top-five leagues in this Japanese side. 

Qualification is always relatively straightforward for Japan, and they won seven out of 10 in Asia to top their group, although Australia did take four points from their meetings. Group F will test them, as they have been placed alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia in what looks to be an open group, with the race for qualification set to be a wonderful one.

I think they will be favourites to beat Tunisia, and then it could be a shootout between themselves and Sweden for second place behind the Dutch. These four could finish in any order however. 

Group F Fixtures:

14 June 3pm local (9pm BST) - vs Netherlands (Arlington)

20 June 10pm local (21 June 5am BST) - vs Tunisia (Monterrey)

25 June 6pm local (26 June 12am BST) - vs Sweden (Arlington)

Key Player: Zion Suzuka 

There’s a lot of potential stars in this Japan team, but I’m changing tact and picking out the goalkeeper. Zion Suzuki joined Parma in the summer of 2024 and has established himself as the first-choice keeper.

He suffered a broken hand this season and missed a large amount of the season, but he’s now back fully fit ready to take his spot in Japan’s goal. This World Cup also represents a bit of a homecoming for him as he was born in New Jersey to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother, and has represented Japan at every level since U15s. 

He is just 23, and plays in one of the best leagues in the world, but this World Cup could still be a breakout tournament for the goalkeeper. Japan have plenty of capable outfielders, but Suzuka’s performances could decide their fate.

Football Odds

Prediction: Last 32

I think Japan have been placed in a really tricky group and although they could progress, I don’t think they will top the charts. Group F is the hardest to predict at the World Cup, and because eight third-place teams will also make it through, we aren’t sure how the tournament will pan out.

Having said that, I do think qualification to the knockouts is more than achievable for Japan, and they could cause a shock in the knockouts. However, if they finish third they may be paired for a rematch with Germany, and they are yet to win a World Cup knockout game. I’ll back that run to continue in North America.