Japan’s National Men’s Football Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been officially announced ahead of the June 2 deadline by FIFA with a major omission in the list of players to represent Blue Samurai at this year’s World Cup.
Following the announcement, the biggest takeaways were the inclusion of Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and omission of Brighton and Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma. (Scroll down to view full list)
Endo’s inclusion was a big shock as the former Stuttgart player has struggled to feature for Liverpool for the second season in a row having played just 12 times in all competitions this season. He has registered an assist and has been largely inactive due to a serious ankle injury he picked up earlier this season.
Like Endo, Mitoma has battled injuries for significant stretches in the season culminating in Mitoma making 27 appearances in all competitions and registering three goals and an assist for the English Premier League side.
The EPL contingent in Japan’s squad is rounded up by Daichi Kamada of Crystal Palace and Ao Tanaka of Leeds United. Parma goalkeeper Zion Aya Suzuki, whose father is Ghanaian, made the cut.
