Japan national under-20 football team explained

Japan Under-20
Badge Size:160px
Fifa Trigramme:JPN
Nickname:サムライ・ブルー
(Samurai Blue)[1]
Association:Japan Football Association
Sub-Confederation:EAFF (East Asia)
Confederation:AFC (Asia)
Coach:Koichi Togashi
Most Caps:Koki Ogawa (36)
Top Scorer:Koki Ogawa (23)
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First Game: 4–0
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 19 April 1959)
Largest Win: 26–0
(Bangkok, Thailand; 31 October 2011)
Largest Loss: 6–0
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 22 April 1959)
Regional Name:FIFA U-20 World Cup
Regional Cup Apps:11
Regional Cup First:1979
Regional Cup Best:Runners-up (1999)
2Ndregional Name:AFC U-19 Championship
2Ndregional Cup Apps:38
2Ndregional Cup First:1959
2Ndregional Cup Best:Champions (2016)

The Japan national under-20 football team (Japanese: U-20サッカー日本代表) is a national association football team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The year before the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the national team is renamed the Japan national under-19 football team, and the year before that, the national team is renamed the Japan national under-18 football team.

Results and fixtures

Legend

2024

U-19

2023

U-18

Coaching staff

Current U-20 coaching staff

.[2]

RoleNameNote
Head coachJFA National Coaching Staff
Assistant coachJFA National Coaching Staff
JFA Academy Fukushima Staff
Goalkeeping coachJFA National Coaching Staff
Physical coach Atsushi Kanno JFA Physical Fitness Project
Technical staff Takahiro Sato JFA Technical House
Masaki Nakashita JFA Technical House

Current U-19 coaching staff

.[3]

RoleNameNote
Head coach Yuzo Funakoshi JFA National Coaching Staff
Assistant coach Daisuke Sugawara JFA National Coaching Staff
Goalkeeping coach Toshiyasu Takahara JFA National Coaching Staff
Physical coach Atsushi Kanno JFA Physical Fitness Project
Technical staff Hiromi Katagiri JFA Technical House

Current U-18 coaching staff

.[4]

RoleNameNote
Head coach Yuzo Funakoshi JFA National Coaching Staff
Assistant coach Daisuke Sugawara JFA National Coaching Staff
Goalkeeping coachJFA National Coaching Staff
Physical coach Tomoo Tsukoshi JFA Physical Fitness Project
Technical staff Hideaki Watanabe JFA Technical House

Players

Current U-19 squad

The following players were called-up for a domestic training camp, held in Chiba from 22 to 25 July 2024. On 22 July, Hisatsugu Ishii, injured, was replaced by Yuto Anzai.[5]

Recent U-19 call-ups

The following players were called up to the squad in the past 12 months.

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
TP Training partner
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.
(Players are listed within position group by order of latest call-up, seniority, and then alphabetically by its surname)

Current U-18 squad

The following players were called up for the Ibaraki Next Generation Cup 2023 matches, held between 21 and 24 December 2023. On 16 December, Kairu Ozaki and Yotaro Nakajima, both injured, were replaced by Rinto Hanashiro and Nobuhiro Konno. On 20 December, Shuto Nagano was replaced by Soshiro Tanida.[6]

Recent U-18 call-ups

The following players were called up to the squad in the past 12 months.

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
TRP Training partner
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.
(Players are listed within position group by order of latest call-up, seniority, and then alphabetically by its surname)

Previous U-20 squads

FIFA U-20 World Cup

Records

Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.

Caps and goals is calculated by all national team level include U18, U19, and U20.

Most capped player

width =30width =150Namewidth =60Capswidth =60Goalswidth =60Poswidth =80Career
1Koki Ogawa3623FW2015–2017
2Yuta Nakayama300DF2015–2017
3Takehiro Tomiyasu281DF2016–2017
4Ryosuke Yamanaka250DF2011–2012
5Ritsu Doan248MF2016–2017
6Koji Miyoshi235MF2013–2017
7Isa Sakamoto2112FW2021–2023
8Sota Kitano196FW2022–2023
9Yuya Kubo1815FW2010–2012
10Naohiro Takahara1616FW1998–1999

Top goalscorers

width =20width =150Namewidth =50Goalswidth =50Capswidth =50Ratiowidth= 80Career
1Koki Ogawa23362015–2017
2Naohiro Takahara16161998–1999
3Yuya Kubo15182010–2012
4Isa Sakamoto12212021–2023
5Kanta Chiba1142021–2022
6Kento Shiogai992023–
7Ritsu Doan8242016–2017
Naoki Kumata8132022–2023
9Sota Kitano6192022–2023
Hidetoshi Nakata6121994–1995
Taisei Miyashiro6112018–2020
Kensuke Nagai6112007–2011

Honours

Intercontinental

Runners-Up (1): 1999

Continental

AFC U-19 Championship

Runners-Up (6): 1973, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006

Competitive record

FIFA U-20 World Cup

FIFA U-20 World Cup record
Hosts / YearResultwidth=20width=20width=20width=20width=20width=20
1977did not qualify
1979Group stage302112
1981did not qualify
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995Quarterfinals411266
1997Quarterfinals5212129
1999Runners-up7412119
2001Group stage310244
2003Quarterfinals5302610
2005Round of 16402235
2007Round of 16422063
2009did not qualify
2011
2013
2015
2017Round of 16411246
2019Round of 16412142
2023Group stage310234
2025to be determined
Total11/24461612186060

AFC U-20 Asian Cup

AFC U-20 Asian Cup record
width=80 Year width=100 Resultwidth=20 Pldwidth=20 Wwidth=20 Dwidth=20 Lwidth=20 GFwidth=20 GA
1959Third place42021211
1960Third place42111011
1961Group stage401348
1962Group stage410349
1963Group stage5113813
1964Group stage 301214
1965Group stage420284
1966Group stage4004213
1967Group stage300326
1968First round301206
1969Quarterfinals 3102511
1970Fourth place6213513
1971Fourth place6411132
1972Quarterfinals5221125
1973Runners-up512256
1974Quarterfinals420294
1975Group stage4202105
1976Tie-breaker play-off 412124
1977Fourth place512286
1978Group stage 412186
1980Final tournament 420245
1982Didn't qualify
1985
1986
1988Group stage300337
1990Group stage311154
1992Third place530284
1994Runners-up640294
1996Fourth place 6312126
1998Runners-up63121810
2000Runners-up6312158
2002Runners-up6411114
2004Third place6303103
2006Runners-up6321126
2008Quarterfinals4211106
2010Quarterfinals4301114
2012Quarterfinals411224
2014Quarterfinals421175
2016Champions6420130
2018Semifinals5401155
2023Semifinals5410114
Total38/41173743069304236

See also

Japan
  • Men's
  • Women's

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. "サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue)" basically refers to the Japan national football team, and in fact "Samurai Blue" is not often used by the under generation.
    2. Web site: U-20 Japan National Team squad - FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™. en. www.jfa.jp/eng/. Japan Football Association (JFA). 8 May 2023. 21 July 2023.
    3. Web site: U-19 Japan National Team squad & schedule - Jordan tour (3/17-27). en. www.jfa.jp/eng/. Japan Football Association (JFA). 13 March 2024. 8 May 2024.
    4. Web site: U-18 Japan National Team squad & schedule - IBARAKI Next Generation Cup 2023 (12/18-24@Ibaraki). en. www.jfa.jp/eng/. Japan Football Association (JFA). 13 December 2023. 8 May 2024.
    5. Web site: U-19日本代表 国内トレーニングキャンプ メンバー・スケジュール(7.22-7.25 @千葉). jfa.jp/. JFA. 19 July 2024. ja. 19 July 2024.
    6. Web site: U-18 Japan National Team squad & schedule - IBARAKI Next Generation Cup 2023 (12/18-24@Ibaraki). jfa.jp/eng/. JFA. 13 December 2023. en. 13 December 2023.