Japan national football team explained

Japan
Badge:Japan_national_football_team_crest.svg
Badge Size:160px
Fifa Trigramme:JPN
Nickname:Japanese: サムライ・ブルー
(Samurai Blue)
Since 19 October 2009[1]
Sub-Confederation:EAFF (East Asia)
Confederation:AFC (Asia)
Website:Japanese
English
Coach:Hajime Moriyasu[2] [3] [4]
Captain:Wataru Endō
Most Caps:Yasuhito Endō (152)
Home Stadium:Various
Fifa Max:9
Fifa Max Date:March 1998
Fifa Min:66
Fifa Min Date:December 1992
Elo Max:8
Elo Max Date:August 2001, March 2002
Elo Min:123
Elo Min Date:September 1962
Pattern La1:_jap24h
Pattern B1:_jap24h
Pattern Ra1:_jap24h
Pattern Sh1:_jap24h
Leftarm1:001040
Body1:001040
Rightarm1:001040
Shorts1:001040
Socks1:001040
Pattern La2:_jap24a
Pattern B2:_jap24a
Pattern Ra2:_jap24a
Pattern Sh2:_jap24a
Leftarm2:FFFFFF
Body2:FFFFFF
Rightarm2:FFFFFF
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First Game: 0–5
(Tokyo, Japan; 9 May 1917)
Largest Win: 15–0
(Tokyo, Japan; 27 September 1967)
Largest Loss: 2–15
(Tokyo, Japan; 10 May 1917)
World Cup Apps:7
World Cup First:1998
World Cup Best:Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022)
Regional Name:Asian Cup
Regional Cup Apps:11
Regional Cup First:1988
Regional Cup Best:Champions (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011)
2Ndregional Name:Copa América (as guest)
2Ndregional Cup Apps:2
2Ndregional Cup First:1999
2Ndregional Cup Best:Group stage (1999, 2019)
3Rdregional Name:EAFF Championship
3Rdregional Cup Apps:9
3Rdregional Cup First:2003
3Rdregional Cup Best:Champions (2013, 2022)
Confederations Cup Apps:5
Confederations Cup First:1995
Confederations Cup Best:Runners-up (2001)

The, also known by the nickname,[5] represents Japan in men's international football. It is controlled by the Japan Football Association (JFA), the governing body for football in Japan.

Until the end of the 1980s, Japan was a small and amateur team. For a long time in the country, football was less popular than baseball and sumo.[6] [7] Since the 1990s, when Japanese football became fully professionalized, Japan has emerged as one of the most successful teams in Asia; they have qualified for the last seven FIFA World Cups (especially 2002 as co-hosts with South Korea) with knockout stage appearances that year, and in 2010, 2018 and 2022. They have won the AFC Asian Cup a record four times, in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011. The team also finished second in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Japan remains the only team from the AFC other than Australia and Saudi Arabia to have reached the final of a senior FIFA men's competition.

Japan's progression in a short period has served as an inspiration and example of how to develop football.[8] [9] Their principal continental rivals are South Korea and, most recently, Australia; they also developed rivalries against Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Japan was the first team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in the 1999, 2011, 2015, and 2019 editions of the tournament, though they only played in the 1999 and 2019 events.[10]

History

Pre-war era (1910s–1930s)

Japan's earliest international matches were at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, where it was represented by a team from the Tokyo Higher Normal School. Although Japan made strong showings in swimming, baseball, and track and field, its football team suffered resounding defeats to the Republic of China and the Philippines.[11] Nevertheless, the game was promoted in Japanese schools in the 1920s.[12] The Japan Football Association was formed in 1921,[13] and Japan joined FIFA in May 1929.

Japan's first "true" national team (as opposed to a university team chosen to represent the country) was fielded at the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, and drew with China for the championship title. Shigeyoshi Suzuki coached the national team to its first Olympic appearance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Japan was an entrant for the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification, but withdrew before its scheduled qualifying match against the Dutch East Indies.[14]

After World War II began in earnest, Japan did not play in international competition, except for a handful of matches against Manchuria and other colonies. Its last prewar match for purposes of Elo ratings was a friendly against the Philippines in June 1940.[15]

While Korea was under Japanese rule, multiple Koreans played in international competition for Japan, including Kim Yong-sik (1936–40), Kim Sung-gan (1940) and Lee Yoo-hyung (1940).

Post-war era (1950s–1980s)

Japan's postwar debut was in the 1951 Asian Games in India. Japan re-joined FIFA in 1950 and played in qualifiers for the 1954 FIFA World Cup, but lost the AFC qualifying berth to South Korea after two matches, beginning an intense rivalry. Japan also joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954.

Dettmar Cramer joined the Japan national team as coach in 1960, and helped lead the team to the round of eight at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[16] Japan's first major achievement in international football came in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where the team won the bronze medal. Although this result earned the sport increased recognition in Japan, the absence of a professional domestic league hindered its growth and Japan would not qualify for the FIFA World Cup until 30 years later.[17] Nonetheless, Japan had come close to qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, but lost to South Korea in the deciding matches.

Japan made its first appearance in the Asian Cup in 1988, where they were eliminated in the group stage following a draw with Iran and losses to South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The late 1980s saw concrete moves to professionalize the sport in Japan. JFA introduced a Special Licensed Player system in 1986, allowing a limited number of professional players to compete in the domestic semi-professional league. Action committees were held in 1988 and 1989 to discuss the introduction of a full professional league in Japan.

1990s: Rise

In 1991, the owners of the semi-professional Japan Soccer League agreed to disband the league and re-form as the professional J.League, partly to raise the sport's profile and to strengthen the national team program. The following year, Japan hosted the 1992 Asian Cup and won their first title by defeating Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final.[18] The J.League was officially launched in 1993.[19]

However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the 1994 World Cup after drawing with Iraq in the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the "Agony of Doha".[20] Japan's next tournament was a defence of their continental title at the 1996 Asian Cup. The team won all their games in the group stage but were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 2–0 loss to Kuwait.[21]

The nation's first ever World Cup appearance was in 1998, where Japan lost all their games. The first two fixtures went 1–0 in favour of Argentina and Croatia, and the campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat to Jamaica. Japan impressed in all three games, however, with all three defeats were just one goal margin.[22]

2000s

In the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, Japan managed to reclaim their title after defeating Saudi Arabia in the final, becoming Asian champions for the second time.[23]

Two years later, Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. After a 2–2 draw with Belgium in their opening match, the Japanese team advanced to the second round with a 1–0 win over Russia and a 2–0 victory against Tunisia. However, they subsequently exited the tournament during the round of 16, after losing 1–0 to eventual third-place finishers Turkey.[24]

With the 2004 AFC Asian Cup hosted by China, the Japanese managed to retain the title by winning their group after two victories over Thailand and Oman, before surpassing Jordan and Bahrain. They won against China in the final 3–1.[25]

On 8 June 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, its third consecutive World Cup, by beating North Korea 2–0 on neutral ground. However, Japan failed to advance to the round of 16, losing to Australia 1–3, drawing Croatia 0–0 and losing to Brazil 1–4.[26]

The 2007 AFC Asian Cup saw Japan failed to defend the title. Although easily winning the group Vietnam and two Arab rivals, Qatar and the UAE, the Japanese were totally exhausted in their game against Australia, where Japan won only by a penalty shootout. Japan lost to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals,[27] before failing in the third-place match against South Korea.

2010s

During the 2010 World Cup qualification, in the fourth round of the Asian Qualifiers, Japan became the first team other than the host South Africa to qualify after defeating Uzbekistan 1–0 away. Japan was drawn in Group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon.[28] Japan started with a 1–0 win against Cameroon,[29] before subsequently losing to the Netherlands 0–1.[30] Then, Japan resoundingly beat Denmark 3–1 to advance to the next round against Paraguay.[31] In the round of 16, Japan were eliminated from the competition following penalties after a 0–0 draw against Paraguay.[32]

After the World Cup, head coach Takeshi Okada resigned. He was replaced by former Juventus and Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni. In his first few matches, Japan recorded victories over Guatemala (2–1) and Paraguay (1–0), as well as a 1–0 victory over Argentina.

In 2011, Japan participated in the Asian Cup in Qatar. On 29 January, they beat Australia 1–0 in the final after extra time, their fourth Asian Cup triumph and allowing them to qualify for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.[33]

Japan then started their road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Throughout, they suffered only two losses to Uzbekistan and Jordan, and drew against Australia. Afterwards, on 12 October, Japan earned a historic 1–0 victory over France. After a 1–1 draw with Australia, they qualified for the 2014 World Cup, becoming the first nation aside from Brazil to qualify.[34]

Japan started their 2013 Confederations Cup campaign with a 3–0 loss to Brazil.[35] They were then eliminated from the competition after losing to Italy 3–4.[36] They lost their final match 1–2 against Mexico and finished in fourth place in Group A.[37] One month later, in the EAFF East Asian Cup, they started out with a 3–3 draw to China. They then beat Australia 3–2 and beat South Korea 2–1 in the third and final match in the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup to claim the title.[38]

Japan was placed into Group C at the 2014 World Cup alongside the Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia. They fell in their first match to Ivory Coast 2–1 after initially taking the lead, allowing two goals in a two-minute span. They drew their second game to Greece 0–0. To qualify for the second round, they needed a victory against Colombia and Greece to win against Ivory Coast. Greece beat Ivory Coast 2–1, but Colombia won 4–1, eliminating Japan from the World Cup.[39] Alberto Zaccheroni resigned as head coach.[40] In July 2014, former Mexico and Espanyol manager Javier Aguirre took over,[41] and Japan lost 0–2 to Uruguay in the first game he managed.

Japan won its opening match at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Group D against Asian Cup debutantes Palestine 4–0, with goals from Yasuhito Endō, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda via a penalty and Maya Yoshida. Okazaki was named man of the match. They then faced Iraq and Jordan in their next group matches, which they won 1–0 and 2–0 respectively. They qualified to the knockout stage as Group D winner with nine points, seven goals scored and no goals conceded. In the quarter-finals, Japan lost to the United Arab Emirates in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw, as Honda and Shinji Kagawa missed their penalty kicks. Japan's elimination marked their worst performance in the tournament in 19 years.[42]

After the Asian Cup, Aguirre was sacked following allegations of corruption during a prior tenure.[43] He was replaced by Vahid Halilhodžić in March 2015.[44] Japan started on a rough note during qualification, losing to the UAE 1–2 at home.[45] They then picked up the pace in their other qualifier games against Iraq, Australia, and Thailand, picking up five wins and two draws. On 31 August 2017, Japan defeated Australia 2–0 at home, thus qualifying them for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, making it their sixth successive World Cup.[46] However, the Japan Football Association decided to sack Halilhodžić on 9 April 2018, only ten weeks before the World Cup, citing reasons of a breakdown in relationship between the coach and players, and poor recent friendly results, and appoint the Technical Director, Japanese coach Akira Nishino as the new manager.[47]

Japan made history in the 2018 World Cup by defeating Colombia 2–1, their first ever victory by any AFC team against a CONMEBOL team in an official tournament,[48] as well as Japan's first ever victory at the World Cup finals in UEFA nations. Their second match ended in a draw against Senegal, with one goal scored by Takashi Inui and the other by Keisuke Honda.[49] Japan were defeated in their last group game in the Group H against Poland 0–1,[50] leaving Japan and Senegal tied for second with an identical record; however, as Japan had received two fewer yellow cards, Japan advanced to the knockout stage on the Fair Play Points tiebreaker, the first team to do so.[51] The match with Poland caused controversy, as Japan were made aware of their advantage over Senegal with ten minutes left and decided to play an extremely conservative game with no attempts to take a shot on goal, despite losing 0–1, with some fans booing the players.[52] [53] [54] The match received comparison to the 1982 World Cup Disgrace of Gijón, in which a similar game was played.[55] Japan were the only AFC team to have qualified to the knockout stage.[56]

In the round of 16 against Belgium, Japan took a surprising 2–0 lead with a goal in the 48th minute by Genki Haraguchi and another in the 52nd by Takashi Inui, but yielded three goals afterwards, including the winner by Nacer Chadli on the counterattack in the 94th minute. This was Japan's third time having reached the last 16.[57] Japan's defeat to eventual third-place finishers Belgium was the first time a nation had lost a knockout match at the World Cup after taking a two-goal advantage since England lost to West Germany 3–2 in extra-time in the quarter-final of the 1970 edition.[58] [59] This scenario was due to the naivety of the Japanese,[60] [61] [62] who were very offensive and did not fall back enough in defense once the two-goal lead was acquired, leaving a lot of space to the Belgians, who also took advantage of their well-calculated tactics and superior strategies to turn the game around. However, Japan's impressive performance was praised by fans, pundits and the media.[63]

Japan participated in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, placing on top of group F after defeating Turkmenistan 3–2,[64] Oman 1–0[65] and Uzbekistan 2–1.[66] Japan defeated Saudi Arabia in the round of sixteen and dark horse Vietnam in the quarter-finals by a 1–0 margin.[67] [68] After defeating Iran 3–0 to reach the final,[69] Japan's hope to win their fifth Asian Cup in two decades shattered with the team suffering a 1–3 loss to Qatar, who won the Asian Cup for the first time.[70]

Japan were invited to the 2019 Copa America, their second appearance at the tournament, and brought a young squad to the competition. They were placed in Group C with Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador. They lost their opening match, 0–4 to Chile.[71] Japan, however, bounced back well and managed to draw against Uruguay 2–2, who were deemed to have been saved by VAR.[72] Japan needed a win against Ecuador to qualify for the knockouts, however they drew 1–1 and missed out due to inferior goal differences to Paraguay.[73] Aftermath saw Japan played a friendly game against the Paraguayans, and won 2–0 at home.

2020s

After China was removed as host of the 2022 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, it was announced that Japan was the new host. After topping the table with two wins and one draw, Japan won the competition for the second time in their history.[74]

Japan qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and were grouped with Germany, Costa Rica and Spain in Group E. On 23 November 2022, Japan produced an upset in which they beat Germany 2–1, with two goals in an eight-minute span during the second half.[75] After losing to Costa Rica 1–0,[76] going into the final matchday, every team in Japan's group can qualify or be eliminated, with no team assured of any placement. In the end, Japan managed to qualify for the knockout stages by defeating Spain 2–1 in their final group match, also contributing to Germany's elimination from the tournament.[77] By topping their group, Japan went on to face Croatia[78] in the round of 16 where Japan would lose 1–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[79] It is the third team in 52 years to have come from behind twice in one tournament, following Brazil and (West) Germany.[80] They beat Spain with the lowest possession (18%) of the ball ever for a winning side since the 1966 World Cup.[81] [82] It is the first time that an Asian team topped their World Cup group held outside their home country, and also the first Asian team to reach the knockouts twice in a row.[83]

With a successful World Cup behind them and a run of 10 consecutive victories in all competitions since June 2023, Japan were considered the favourites for the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar.[84] Japan, however, were a disappointment; Hajime Moriyasu's men began the tournament with an unconvincing victory over a Vietnamese side deprived of a number of key players (4–2),[85] before going on to play a nightmarish game against Iraq (1–2). This defeat, Japan's first in the group stage since their first appearance at the continental showpiece in 1988, condemned them to finish at best second in the group due to their unfavourable head-to-head record. The Japanese sealed three points by overcoming an Indonesian team (3–1)[86] and then eliminated Bahrain by the same scoreline in the Round of 16.[87] Japan met Iran in the quarter-finals for a rematch of the previous edition's semi-final, and got the game off to a perfect start with Hidemasa Morita's 28th-minute opener, before falling completely flat in the second half, succumbing to Iran's fiery attacks and lacking the ideas to trouble Team Melli on the counter-attack, who exacted revenge and turned the match on its head thanks to some blatant defensive errors by Kō Itakura (1–2).[88] The country suffered two defeats at the Asian Cup for the first time since Japanese football turned professional in 1992. Japan conceded at least one goal in every match, many of them from avoidable errors by inexperienced goalkeeper Zion Suzuki or by their defensive hinge.[89] [90] [91] The squad also had to contend with an extra controversy, with the sudden departure of Junya Itō shortly before the match against Iran, with the Stade de Reims player having been accused of sexual assault.[92]

Team image

Nicknames

Japan's national football team is nicknamed the by the JFA.[93] [5] The team also is often known by the last name of the manager. For example, under Takeshi Okada, the team was known as, or during the 2022 World Cup, the team is referred by the current manager's (Hajime Moriyasu) name, as .[94] [95]

Kits

The national team kit design has gone through several alterations in the past.[96] In the early 1980s, the kit was white with blue trim. The kits worn for the 1992 Asian Cup consisted of white stripes (stylized to form a wing) with red diamonds. During the 1996 Asian Cup and in the 1998 World Cup, the national team kits were blue jerseys with red and white flame designs on the sleeves, and were designed by JFA (with the sponsor alternating each year between Asics, Puma, and Adidas). The 1996 design was reproduced in a special kit used against Syria on 7 June 2017.

Japan uses blue and white rather than red and white due to a superstition. Japan first used blue shirts in the 1930 Far Eastern Championship Games, where a team of the Tokyo Imperial University (whose color is light blue) represented Japan wearing light blue shirts,[97] and then in a 3–2 victory over Sweden in the first game of its maiden major international competition, the 1936 Summer Olympics.[98] When Japan was coached by Kenzo Yokoyama (1988–1992) the kits were red and white, matching the colours of Japan's national flag. After failures at 1990 FIFA World Cup and 1992 Summer Olympics qualifications, the red shirt was scrapped.

In the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Japan temporarily switched the colour of the numbers from white to gold.

Japan's kit is provided by German company Adidas, the team's exclusive kit supplier since April 1999.[99] Before that, Asics and Puma had been the team's official apparel sponsor alongside Adidas.

On 3 June 2021, Japan released the special 100th anniversary kit for a friendly match against Jamaica, but the match was cancelled and replaced with a match against the U-24 team. The kit was also used by the U-24 team against U-24 Ghana on 5 June 2021.

Kit suppliers

style=background:blue;color:whiteKit providerstyle=background:blue;color:whitePeriod
None1936–1978
Asics1979
Puma1980–1985
Adidas1986
Asics1987–1988
Adidas1989–1992
Asics1993–1998
Adidas1999–present

Crest

The crest or emblem of the national team was adopted in late 2017 as part of a larger rebranding by the Japan Football Association.[100] The crest features the Yatagarasu, a three-legged crow from Japanese mythology that is a symbol for the sun, holding a solid red ball that is like the sun from national flag. The text "JFA" (for the Japan Football Association) is inscribed at the bottom of the crow. A red stripe is also present at the center of the shield behind the crow. The shield has a metallic gold trim and has a thicker black outline. The name of the country represented by the national team "Japan" is also inscribed within the black border.[101] [102]

The previous crest used from 1996 had a shield with a more complex shape. The ball held by the Yatagarasu had white details. The text "Japan" is absent and "JFA" is written in a different typeface.[101]

Before 1988, Japan used the national flag outlined in red (and with JFA written in black on the lower left corner of the flag) on the shirts.

The Yatagarasu was first seen on the Japan shirts in 1988, where it was on a yellow circle with a blue outline with "JAPAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION" written around it. In 1991, the emblem changed to a white shield with a red vertical stripe on the center with the crow on it and "JFA" written in a green Gothic typeface. This crest was used until 1996.

Home stadium

See main article: List of football stadiums in Japan. Japan plays its home matches among various stadiums, in rotation, around the country, especially the Saitama Stadium 2002.

Rivalries

South Korea

See main article: Japan–South Korea football rivalry. Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea. The football rivalry is long-seated and is often seen as an extension of an overall historic rivalry between the two nations. Japan have met South Korea 80 times, trailing the statistic at 15 wins, 23 draws, and 42 losses. Japan have scored 73 goals and conceded 153. Since November 1991, when the Japan Professional Football League was launched, the record is almost even with 9 wins, 12 draws and 10 losses. Both countries have made themselves unrivalled in both Asian Cup and World Cup records, being the two most successful Asian countries, and they hosted the 2002 World Cup in a joint bid.

North Korea

Japan also maintains a significant rivalry with North Korea, although the rivalry is infrequent due to political circumstances.[103] Like the rivalry against South Korea, the rivalry against North Korea is another extension of historical feud between Japan and Korea. They have met each other 20 times, with the statistic being equal with 8 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses. Since the Japan Professional Football League was launched in 1991, Japan have led the series with 6 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. Japan have a far more dominant record with four Asian Cup titles and advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup four times, whereas North Korea's best Asian Cup result was just fourth place in 1980 and only advanced past the group stages of a World Cup just once, a quarter-final finish at England 1966.

China

See main article: China–Japan football rivalry. Japan and China used to have a strong rivalry. The rivalry was taken to new heights when Japan beat China 3–1 in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup final.[104] Previously, when Japan had not established professional football, Japan had only 4 wins, 3 draws and 13 losses against China. However, Japan's rapid rise since 1991 with the foundation of the Japan Professional Football League helped turn the tide, and the Japanese have been able to exert domination with 13 wins, 6 draws and only 2 losses. Moreover, Japan have been able to use the new professional program into senior success, qualifying to every FIFA World Cup since 1998 and winning four Asian Cups, whereas China have finished runners-up in Asia twice, and qualified for just one World Cup in 2002.

Australia

See main article: Australia–Japan football rivalry. Japan began to develop a fierce rivalry with fellow Asian powerhouse Australia, shortly after the latter joined the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[105] The rivalry is regarded as one of Asia's biggest football rivalries.[106] The rivalry is a relatively recent one, born from a number of highly competitive matches between the two teams since Australia joined the AFC in 2006.[107] The rivalry began at the 2006 World Cup where the two countries were grouped together, and continued with the two countries meeting regularly in various AFC competitions, such as the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final and the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup.[108] Likewise, Australia and Japan also share World Cup and continental records that is nearly unrivalled in Asia, and also similar that football is not the main sport in both nations until recently; yet hold an indistinguishable record that being the only three members from the AFC to have reached the final of any senior FIFA competition, the other being Saudi Arabia, both in the defunct FIFA Confederations Cup, albeit Australia achieved it when the country still belonged to the OFC.[109] Japan have met Australia 27 times, with a record of 11 wins, 9 draws and 7 losses; Japan leads the series with 10 wins, 7 draws and 4 losses in matches played since 1991.

Saudi Arabia

Japan and Saudi Arabia are two of the most historically successful national teams in Asia and have frequently met each other in many major tournaments, including in the Asian Cup and World Cup qualification.[110] The frequency is also rivalled by high-level performances of Japan and Saudi Arabia in the Asian and global football stage, justified by being the two of just three AFC member nations (alongside Australia) to reach the final of any senior FIFA competition. Combined, they have also won seven AFC Asian Cup titles in total. Both Japan and Saudi Arabia also gained headlines for producing "unexpected" wins in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with Japan earning wins against Germany and Spain and Saudi Arabia against Argentina in the group stage. Despite the fact that between both nations only Japan qualified to the knockout stage of the competition in 2022, these wins over World Cup-winning oppositions have allowed comparisons of developments between Japan and Saudi Arabia to emerge.[111] [112] In the head-to-head record, Japan have an advantage over Saudi Arabia with 10 wins, 1 draw and 5 losses.[113]

Supporters

Japanese national team supporters are known for chanting "Nippon Ole" (Nippon is the Japanese word for Japan) at home matches.[114]

Sponsorship

Japan has one of the highest sponsorship incomes for a national squad. In 2006 their sponsorship income amounted to over 16.5 million pounds.

Primary sponsors include Adidas, ANA, Kirin, Saison Card International, FamilyMart, JAL, MS&AD Insurance Group, Asahi Shinbun, Mizuho Financial, Daito Trust Construction and KDDI.[115]

Mascot

The mascots are "Karappe" (Japanese: カラッペ) and "Karara" (Japanese: カララ), two Yatagarasu wearing the Japan national football team kit. The mascots were designed by Japanese manga artist Susumu Matsushita. Each year when a new kit is launched, the mascots' uniforms are updated in order to match the kit being used by the team.

For the 2014 World Cup, the Pokémon character Pikachu served as the mascot.[116]

Results and fixtures

See main article: Japan national football team results (2020–present).

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2023

See main article: 2023 Japan national football team.

2024

See main article: 2024 Japan national football team.

2025

Coaching staff

Current staff

RoleName
Head coach Hajime Moriyasu
Assistant coach Ryoichi Maeda
Hiroshi Nanami
Toshihide Saito
Physical coach Ryoichi Matsumoto
Goalkeeper coach Takashi Shimoda

Manager history

after the match against .

ManagerPeriodRecord
style=background:blue;color:whiteMatches !style=background:blue;color:whiteWon !style=background:blue;color:whiteDraw !style=background:blue;color:whiteLost !style=background:blue;color:whiteWin %
Masujiro Nishida192320020%
Goro Yamada192520020%
Vacant1925210150%
Shigeyoshi Suzuki (1st)1930211050%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (1st)1934310233.33%
Shigeyoshi Suzuki (2nd)1936211050%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (2nd)19401100100%
Hirokazu Ninomiya1951311133.33%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (3rd)1954–561224616.66%
Taizo Kawamoto195820020%
Shigemaru Takenokoshi (4th)1958–591242633.33%
Vacant196010010%
Hidetoki Takahashi1961–19621432921.43%
Ken Naganuma (1st)1963–196931187658.06%
Shunichiro Okano1970–197119112657.90%
Ken Naganuma (2nd)1972–1976421662038.09%
Hiroshi Ninomiya1976–197827661522.22%
Yukio Shimomura1979–19801484257.14%
Masashi Watanabe1980320166.67%
Saburō Kawabuchi1980–19811032530%
Takaji Mori1981–1985432251651.16%
Yoshinobu Ishii1986–198717112464.70%
Kenzo Yokoyama1988–199124571220.83%
Hans Ooft1992–199327167459.25%
Paulo Roberto Falcão1994934233.33%
Shu Kamo1994–19974623101350%
Takeshi Okada (1st)1997–19981554633.33%
Philippe Troussier1998–20025023161146%
Zico2002–20067137161852.11%
Ivica Osim2006–200720132565%
Takeshi Okada (2nd)2007–20105026131152%
Hiromi Hara (caretaker)20102200100%
Alberto Zaccheroni2010–20145530121354.54%
Javier Aguirre2014–20151071270%
Vahid Halilhodžić2015–201838219855.26%
Akira Nishino2018721428.57%
Hajime Moriyasu[117] [118] 2018–present8156101569.14%
ManagerPeriodRecord
style=background:blue;color:whiteMatches !style=background:blue;color:whiteWon !style=background:blue;color:whiteDraw!style=background:blue;color:whiteLost!style=background:blue;color:whiteWin %

Players

See main article: List of Japan international footballers.

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Myanmar and Syria on 6 and 11 June 2024, respectively.[119]

Caps and goals as of 11 June 2024, after the match against .[120]

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad in the last 12 months.[121]

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Records

See main article: Japan national football team records and statistics.

[122]

Players in bold are still active with Japan.

Most appearances

RankPlayerCapsGoalsPosCareer
1Yasuhito Endō15215MF2002–2015
2Yuto Nagatomo1424DF2008–present
3Maya Yoshida12612DF2010–2022
4Masami Ihara1225DF1988–1999
5Shinji Okazaki11950FW2008– 2019
6Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi1160GK1997–2010
7Makoto Hasebe1142MF2006–2018
8Yuji Nakazawa11017DF1999–2010
9Shunsuke Nakamura9824MF2000–2010
Keisuke Honda9837MF2008–2018

Top goalscorers

See also: List of Japan national football team hat-tricks.

RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer
1Kunishige Kamamoto75761964–1977
2Kazuyoshi Miura55891990–2000
3Shinji Okazaki501192008–2019
4Hiromi Hara37751978–1988
Keisuke Honda982008–2018
6Shinji Kagawa31972008–2019
7Takuya Takagi27441992–1997
8Kazushi Kimura26541979–1986
9Yuya Osako25572013–2022
10Shunsuke Nakamura24982000–2010

Captains

style=background:blue;color:whiteNamestyle=background:blue;color:whitePosstyle=background:blue;color:whitePeriodstyle=background:blue;color:whiteNote
Shigeo YaegashiMF1968
Aritatsu OgiMF1969–1974
Kunishige KamamotoFW1975–1977
Nobuo FujishimaMF1978
Hiroshi OchiaiMF DF1978–1979
Hideki MaedaMF1980–1981
Mitsuhisa TaguchiGK1982–1984
Kazushi KimuraMF1986
Hisashi KatoDF1985–1987
Hiromi HaraFW1988
Shigetatsu MatsunagaGK1989
Shinichi Morishita1990
Tetsuji HashirataniMF1991–1995
Masami IharaDF1996–1999
Masashi NakayamaFW2001
Ryuzo MoriokaCB2000–2002
Hidetoshi NakataCM2002–2004
Tsuneyasu MiyamotoCB2003–2006
Yoshikatsu KawaguchiGK2006–2008
Yuji NakazawaCB2008–2010
Makoto HasebeDM2010–2018
Yuichi KomanoDF2013
Gen ShojiCB2017
Maya YoshidaCB2018–2022
Sho SasakiLB2019
Shogo TaniguchiCB2022
Wataru EndoDM2023–present

Competitive record

Champions   Runners-up   Third place   Fourth place  

FIFA World Cup

See main article: Japan at the FIFA World Cup.

See also: FIFA World Cup records and statistics.

FIFA World Cup recordQualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
WithdrewQualified as invitees
1934Did not enterDid not enter
WithdrewWithdrew
Suspended from FIFASuspended from FIFA
Did not qualify201137
Did not enterDid not enter
Did not qualify200214
Did not enterDid not enter
Did not qualify402248
1974410354
1978401305
1982420242
19868512155
1990623173
199413931356
Group stage31st300314Squad159515112
Round of 169th421153SquadQualified as co-hosts
Group stage28th301227Squad121101255
Round of 169th421142Squad14842239
Group stage29th301226Squad14833308
Round of 1615th411267Squad181332447
9th421154Squad181512586
To be determined6600240
2030To be determined
2034
TotalRound of 16257612253314388272832491

Match history

-- collapsed -->" style="text-align:center"
FIFA World Cup history
YearRoundOpponentScoreResult
1998 Group stage0–1 Loss
0–1 Loss
1–2 Loss
2002 Group stage 2–2 Draw
1–0 Win
2–0 Win
Round of 16 0–1 Loss
2006 Group stage 1–3 Loss
0–0 Draw
1–4 Loss
2010 Group stage 1–0 Win
0–1 Loss
3–1 Win
Round of 16 0–0 Draw
2014 Group stage 1–2 Loss
0–0 Draw
1–4 Loss
2018 Group stage 2–1 Win
2–2 Draw
0–1 Loss
Round of 16 2–3 Loss
2022 Group stage 2–1 Win
0–1 Loss
2–1 Win
Round of 16 1–1 Draw

AFC Asian Cup

See main article: Japan at the AFC Asian Cup.

See also: AFC Asian Cup records and statistics.

AFC Asian Cup recordQualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
1956WithdrewWithdrew
1960
1964
1968Did not qualify431084
1972WithdrewWithdrew
1976Did not qualify521244
1980WithdrewWithdrew
1984
1988Group stage10th401306Squad421163
1992Champions 1st532063SquadQualified as hosts
1996Quarter-finals5th430173SquadQualified as defending champions
2000Champions1st6510216Squad3300150
2004Champions1st6420136SquadQualified as defending champions
2007Fourth place4th6231117Squad6501152
2011Champions1st6420146Squad6501174
2015Quarter-finals5th431081SquadQualified as defending champions
2019Runners-up2nd7601126Squad8710270
2023Quarter-finals7th5302128Squad8800462
2027Qualified6600240
Total4 Titles11/1953331281045250414516219

Match history

-- collapsed -->" style="text-align:center"
AFC Asian Cup history
YearRoundOpponentScoreResult
1988 Group stage 0–0 Draw
0–2 Loss
0–1 Loss
0–3 Loss
1992 Group stage 0–0 Draw
1–1 Draw
1–0 Win
Semi-finals 3–2 Win
Final 1–0 Win
1996 Group stage 2–1 Win
4–0 Win
1–0 Win
Quarter-finals 0–2 Loss
2000 Group stage 4–1 Win
8–1 Win
1–1 Draw
Quarter-finals 4–1 Win
Semi-finals 3–2 Win
Final 1–0 Win
2004 Group stage 1–0 Win
4–1 Win
0–0 Draw
Quarter-finals 1–1 Draw
Semi-finals 4–3 Win
Final 3–1 Win
2007 Group stage 1–1 Draw
3–1 Win
4–1 Win
Quarter-finals 1–1 Draw
Semi-finals 2–3 Loss
Third place play-off 0–0 Draw
2011 Group stage 1–1 Draw
2–1 Win
5–0 Win
Quarter-finals 3–2 Win
Semi-finals 2–2 Draw
Final 1–0 Win
2015 Group stage 4–0 Win
1–0 Win
2–0 Win
Quarter-finals 1–1 Draw
2019 Group stage 3–2 Win
1–0 Win
2–1 Win
Round of 16 1–0 Win
Quarter-finals 1–0 Win
Semi-finals 3–0 Win
Final 1–3 Loss
2023 Group stage 4–2 Win
1–2 Loss
3–1 Win
Round of 16 3–1 Win
Quarter-finals 1–2 Loss

Copa América

See main article: Japan at the Copa América. Japan is the first team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited to the 1999 tournament.[10] Japan was also invited to the 2011 tournament and initially accepted the invitation. However, following the Tōhoku earthquake, the JFA later withdrew on 16 May 2011, citing the difficulty of releasing some Japanese players from European teams to play as replacements.[123] On the next day, CONMEBOL invited Costa Rica to replace Japan in the competition.

On 16 August 2013, CONMEBOL president Eugenio Figueredo announced that Japan was invited to the 2015 Copa América.[124] However, Japan later declined the invitation due to scheduling problems.[125]

On 14 May 2018, CONMEBOL announced that Japan, alongside Qatar, would be the two invited teams for the 2019 Copa América.[126]

Copa América record
YearResultPositionSquad
1999Group stage10th301238Squad
2011Withdrew
2015Withdrew
2019Group stage9th302137Squad
TotalGroup stage2/46033615

Match history

FIFA Confederations Cup

See also: National team appearances in the FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA Confederations Cup.

FIFA Confederations Cup record
yearResultPositionSquad
1992Did not qualify
1995Group stage6th200218Squad
1997Did not qualify
1999
2001Runners-up2nd531161Squad
2003Group stage6th310243Squad
2005Group stage5th311144Squad
2009Did not qualify
2013Group stage7th300349Squad
2017Did not qualify
TotalRunners-up5/10165291925

Match history

Olympic Games

See main article: Japan at the Olympics.

See also: Japan national under-23 football team.

Summer Olympics recordQualification record
YearResultPositionMWDLGFGASquadMWDLGFGA
1908Did not enterDid not enter
1912
1920
1924
1928
1936Quarter-finals8th2101310SquadNo qualification
1948Did not enterDid not enter
1952
1956First round10th100102SquadNo qualification
1960Did not qualify210112
1964Quarter-finals8th3103615SquadQualified as hosts
1968Bronze medalists3rd632198Squad5410264
1972Did not qualify4202147
19766213911
19805311165
1984103162617
19888611193
1992–presentSee Japan national under-23 teamSee Japan national under-23 team
TotalBronze medalists4/17125261835402151411149

Match history

Asian Games

See main article: Japan at the Asian Games.

See also: Japan national under-23 football team.

Asian Games record
YearResultPositionMWDLGFGASquad
1951Third place3rd311143Squad
1954Group stage10th200258Squad
195812th200203Squad
19626th310234Squad
1966Third place3rd7601185Squad
1970Fourth place4th750285Squad
1974Group stage9th311154Squad
19789th310255Squad
1982Quarter-finals5th430163Squad
1986Group stage9th420294Squad
1990Quarter-finals8th310233Squad
19947th412195Squad
1998Group stage9th530284Squad
2002–presentSee Japan national under-23 football team
TotalThird place13/1350254218356

Match history

EAFF E-1 Championship

EAFF E-1 Championship record
YearResultPositionSquad
2003Runners-up2nd321030Squad
2005311133Squad
2008312032Squad
2010Third Place3rd311143Squad
2013Champions1st321086Squad
2015Fourth Place4th302134Squad
2017Runners-up2nd320145Squad
2019320172Squad
2022Champions1st321090Squad
TotalChampions9/92713954425

Match history

--collapsed-->" style="text-align:center"
EAFF E-1 Championship history
YearRoundOpponentScoreResult
2003 First match 2–0 Win
Second match 1–0
Third match 0–0 Draw
2005 First match 0–1 Loss
Second match 2–2 Draw
Third match 1–0 Win
2008 First match 1–1 Draw
Second match 1–0 Win
Third match 1–1 Draw
2010 First match 0–0 Draw
Second match 3–0 Win
Third match 1–3 Loss
2013 First match 3–3 Draw
Second match 3–2 Win
Third match 2–1 Win
2015 First match 1–2 Loss
Second match 1–1 Draw
Third match 1–1 Draw
2017 First match 1–0 Win
Second match 2–1
Third match 1–4 Loss
2019 First match 2–1 Win
Second match 5–0
Third match 0–1 Loss
2022 First match 6–0 Win
Second match 0–0 Draw
Third match 3–0 Win

Head-to-head record

The following table shows Japan's all-time international record, correct as of 11 June 2024.[127]

style=background:blue;color:whiteOpponentstyle=background:blue;color:whiteFromstyle=background:blue;color:whiteTostyle=background:blue;color:whitePldstyle=background:blue;color:whiteWstyle=background:blue;color:whiteDstyle=background:blue;color:whiteLstyle=background:blue;color:whiteGFstyle=background:blue;color:whiteGAstyle=background:blue;color:whiteGD
195120153300130+13
20052005110010+1
196420108107416−12
195620222711963930 +9
200720071010000
20122012110020+2
197820241310122611+15
197519935500221+21
20132013100101−1
199920186222118+3
19992019421152+3
20062016311164+2
19682022130211535−30
198020004400291+28
1976201661141013−3
196420154400100+10
20012020633050+5
200120234301104+6
200820193111440
19172021341681046 41+5
196319837601247+17
20032023611449−5
199520225311103+7
199720224121550
20142014110010+1
19982011312010+1
19712010210154+1
19952022422051+4
19982007220051+4
20192023220080+8
19952010301235−2
20062009220071+6
196820126114514−9
20042023421187+1
199420227502169+5
20052014211010+1
20102013220051+4
201720171010330
200220143210147+7
195820222716655917+42
19932004200224−2
19712012430194+5
195420061211164119+22
19542024169253624+12
19512024196672221+1
19782024137331910+9
197319775005110−9
20012013201145−1
199320205302440
19982014421173+4
198820156321124+8
199720053210102+8
19781998510428−6
201820213300111+10
20052013211052+3
198020005500450+45
19582004351311115655+1
201820181010110
20062006110010+1
199620206105611−5
194220215500710+71
20072007110020+2
199420245500270+27
198619984400190+19
20092013301226−4
19812017430194+5
199520032101330
197520242210482316+7
20022002100103−3
19882021141031215+16
19601988311165+1
20152015110040+4
20182020220040+4
19952022125421510+5
19992023622285+3
191719741380533330
19962018320171+6
19822019103431213−1
197420036123613−7
19952002220042+2
198220221811162717+10
19952009312020+2
19872018402247−3
20102021310215−4
195920152823236721+46
20002004321052+3
200120222101220
200920091010000
195420228116234276124−48
197219933300160+16
193620025131770
19932018311156−1
19782024131120379+28
201120214400191+18
196020242819637023+47
20092009110050+5
20062019211020+2
19962023650183+5
19972023320153+2
20192019110032+1
20022018310223−1
19812017206952218+4
19932022320174+3
1985202392341824−6
19962019117313010+20
201020195131660
200720246510124+8
19921992100101−1
20062010440083+5
20142014110043+1
Total (110 Countries)191720248063841642471,421948+473

Honours

Intercontinental

Bronze medalists (1): 1968

Runners-up (1): 2001

Champions (2): 1993, 2007

Champions (1): 2001

Continental

Champions (4): 1992, 2000, 2004, 2011

Runners-up (1): 2019

Bronze medalists (2): 1951, 1966

Regional

Champions (1): 1930

Champions (2): 2013, 2022

Runners-up (5): 2003, 2005, 2008, 2017, 2019

Third place (1): 2010

Minor-friendly

Champions (3): 1992, 1995, 1998

Champions (12): 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015

Awards

Years: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011

Years: 2002

See also

National teams
  • Men's
  • Women's

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20100518000000/http://www.jfa.or.jp/national_team/topics/2009/367.html . 日本代表チーム愛称は、「SAMURAI BLUES 」 . The nickname of the Japanese national team is "SAMURAI BLUE" . ja . . 19 October 2009 . 18 May 2010 . 15 September 2021 . Alt URL
    2. News: 29 December 2022 . SAMURAI BLUE's Head Coach MORIYASU Hajime signs contract extension to 2026 "We want to see a new view at the next World Cup" . Japan Football Association (JFA) . Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan.
    3. News: 28 December 2022 . 12/28(水)17時30分~ SAMURAI BLUE(日本代表)監督就任会見をJFATVにてインターネットライブ配信 . SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) Inauguration Press Conference will be streamed live on JFATV on 28 December 2022 . Japan Football Association (JFA) . Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan . ja.
    4. News: 28 December 2022 . SAMURAI BLUE(日本代表)監督 森保一氏と契約合意 . Contract agreement with SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) manager Hajime Moriyasu . Japan Football Association (JFA) . Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan . ja.
    5. Web site: SAMURAI BLUE. live. 2020-11-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125111856/https://www.jfa.jp/eng/samuraiblue/.
    6. Web site: The Rise of Japanese Football: How the Nation Has Not-So-Quietly Become a Dark Horse Contender. Michail-Angelos Grigoropoulos. Urban Pitch. 28 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203142718/https://urbanpitch.com/the-rise-of-japanese-football-how-the-nation-has-not-so-quietly-become-a-dark-horse-contender/. 3 December 2022. 9 December 2022.
    7. Web site: Japan's rise and rise in football and the lessons for Bangladesh. https://web.archive.org/web/20221208173744/https://en.prothomalo.com/sports/football/o1eiwcu44s . . Ashfaq-Ul-Alam Nilo. 2 December 2022. 8 December 2022. 9 December 2022.
    8. Web site: Williams . Aidan . How the 1992 Asian Cup awoke Japanese football, the continent's sleeping giant . These Football Times . 20 April 2021 . 4 January 2019 . live . 4 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210504023945/https://thesefootballtimes.co/2019/01/04/how-the-1992-asian-cup-awoke-japanese-football-the-continents-sleeping-giant/.
    9. Web site: Anello . Gabriele . The model that saved Japanese football and made it an Asian powerhouse within two decades . Football Chronicle . 20 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200605072813/https://footballchronicle.co/2018/08/19/the-model-that-saved-japanese-football-and-made-it-an-asian-powerhouse-within-two-decades/ . 5 June 2020 . 19 August 2018 . dead.
    10. http://goal.com/en/news/14/asia/2009/06/02/1301486/japan-invited-to-copa-america-2011-along-with-mexico Japan Invited To Copa America 2011 Along With Mexico
    11. News: http://archive.footballjapan.jp/user/scripts/user/history.php?year=1917. ja:1917年の日本サッカー | 日本サッカーアーカイブ. 日本サッカーアーカイブ. 19 June 2018. ja. 3 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180703031712/http://archive.footballjapan.jp/user/scripts/user/history.php?year=1917. live.
    12. Book: Japan, Korea and the 2002 World Cup. Horne. John. Psychology Press. 2002. 0415275636. 121–122.
    13. Web site: Japan Football Museum Japan Football Association. www.jfa.jp. ja. 19 June 2018. 19 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180619190033/http://www.jfa.jp/eng/football_museum/exhibition.html. live.
    14. Web site: World Cup 1938 Qualifying. RSSSF. 19 June 2018. 17 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171217062616/http://www.rsssf.com/tables/38q.html. live.
    15. Web site: World Football Elo Ratings. www.eloratings.net. en. 19 June 2018. 12 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143812/http://www.eloratings.net/Japan. live.
    16. Web site: Origins and History|JFA|Japan Football Association. www.jfa.jp. ja. 19 June 2018. 20 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180620001027/http://www.jfa.jp/eng/about_jfa/history/. live.
    17. Web site: History of the J. League. 2 November 2016. Matsushima. Ken. Rising Sun News. https://web.archive.org/web/20060512150136/http://www.wldcup.com/Asia/jleague/history.html. 12 May 2006.
    18. Web site: Japan-1992 Asian Cup Champs-AFC . 2023-05-12 . the-AFC . en.
    19. Web site: 25 years of J League - Rise and Fall of Asia's No.1 football league Goal.com . 2023-05-12 . www.goal.com . en.
    20. Web site: Agony amid drama in Doha . 2023-05-12 . www.fifa.com . en.
    21. Web site: Kuwait - Japan 2:0 (Asian Cup 1996 VA Emirate, Viertelfinale) . 2023-05-12 . weltfussball.de . de.
    22. Web site: 1998 FIFA World Cup France™: Japan . 2023-05-13 . www.fifa.com . en.
    23. Web site: Troussier: 2000 triumph an amazing memory . 2023-05-12 . the-AFC . en.
    24. Web site: BBC SPORT WORLD CUP Japan v Turkey Turkey end Japan's dream . 2023-05-12 . news.bbc.co.uk.
    25. Web site: Asian Classics: Japan's 2004 triumph an unforgettable moment, says Zico . 2023-05-12 . the-AFC . en.
    26. Web site: 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany : Japan . 2023-05-13 . www.fifa.com . en.
    27. Web site: Flashback: AFC Asian Cup 2007 . 2023-05-13 . the-AFC . en . It was east v west in the semi-finals, with historic rivals Japan and Saudi Arabia, who had between them split evenly the previous six titles, faced-off. Japan’ Takahara failed to add to his four goals while his challenger Al Qahtani put Saudi in front. Yuji Nakazawa and Yuki Abe scored for the Samurai Blue, but it was a Malek Mouath brace that settled the game with a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Green Falcons..
    28. News: Hongo . Jun . Japan team has foot in World Cup door but can it kick? . https://web.archive.org/web/20110605235007/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100209i1.html#.WzV_odL7TIU . . 9 February 2010 . 3 . 29 June 2018 . 5 June 2011 . live .
    29. News: 2010-06-14 . Cameroon attitude wrong - Le Guen . en-GB . 2023-05-13.
    30. News: Burnton . Simon . 2010-06-19 . World Cup 2010: Holland v Japan - as it happened Simon Burnton . en-GB . the Guardian . 2023-05-13 . 0261-3077.
    31. News: Gibson . Owen . 2010-06-25 . World Cup 2010: Japan push past Denmark and set up tie with Paraguay . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-05-13 . 0261-3077.
    32. News: Ingle . Sean . 2010-06-29 . World Cup 2010: Paraguay make Japan pay the penalty for negativity . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-05-13 . 0261-3077.
    33. News: Australia 0 Japan 1 (aet): match report . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/8290841/Australia-0-Japan-1-aet-match-report.html . 11 January 2022 . subscription . live . 29 January 2011 . . 2 February 2011 . Staff and agencies .
    34. News: Press Association . 2013-06-04 . Australia concede late equaliser to Japan in World Cup qualifier . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-05-13 . 0261-3077.
    35. Web site: 2013-06-17 . Brazil deals Japan harsh lesson . 2023-05-12 . The Japan Times . en-US.
    36. Web site: 2013-06-20 . Italy scores 4-3 win over Japan at Confederations Cup . 2023-05-12 . South China Morning Post . en.
    37. Web site: 2013-06-23 . Javier Hernandez double gives Mexico 2-1 victory over Japan . 2023-05-12 . South China Morning Post . en.
    38. Web site: Japan beat S.Korea to win East Asian Cup . 2023-05-13 . SBS News . en.
    39. News: Bakowski . Gregg . 2014-06-24 . Japan v Colombia: World Cup 2014 – as it happened . en-GB . the Guardian . 2023-05-12 . 0261-3077.
    40. Web site: Rapp . Timothy . Alberto Zaccheroni Resigns as Japan Manager: Latest Details and Reaction . 2023-05-12 . Bleacher Report . en.
    41. Web site: 2014-07-24 . Javier Aguirre named new Japan coach . 2023-05-12 . ESPN.com . en.
    42. News: Reuters . 2015-01-23 . UAE send stunned champions Japan tumbling out of Asian Cup on penalties . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-05-12 . 0261-3077.
    43. News: 2015-02-03 . Japan fire head coach Aguirre . en . Reuters . 2023-05-12.
    44. Web site: Vahid Halilhodzic named as new coach of Japan . 2023-05-12 . the-AFC . en.
    45. News: Reuters . 2016-09-02 . Disgruntled Japan bemoan shock UAE defeat in World Cup qualifier . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-05-13 . 0261-3077.
    46. News: 2017-08-31 . Japan book ticket to Russia with 2-0 win over Australia . en . Reuters . 2023-05-12.
    47. Web site: 19 June 2018. Japan coach gamble to pay off?. Pete Hall. Sky Sports. 1 July 2018. 1 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180701083117/http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12098/11391138/will-japans-gamble-to-change-their-coach-on-eve-of-world-cup-pay-off. live.
    48. Web site: Japan make history with World Cup win against 10-man Colombia . 19 June 2018 . 25 June 2018 . . 25 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180625050936/https://www.afp.com/en/news/207/japan-make-history-world-cup-win-against-10-man-colombia-doc-16831c3 . live .
    49. News: Gendler . Daniel . Japan and Senegal Control World Cup Fates After Draw . 24 June 2018 . 25 June 2018 . . 25 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180625050522/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/24/sports/world-cup/japan-vs-senegal.html . live .
    50. News: Mather . Victor . Japan Advances in World Cup 2018 Despite Losing to Poland . 27 June 2018 . 28 June 2018 . . 28 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180628151830/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/28/sports/world-cup/japan-vs-poland.html . live .
    51. News: 28 June 2018 . Lucky Japan qualify for knockout stages through Fifa's fair play rules despite losing 1-0 to Poland . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/06/28/japan-vs-poland-world-cup-2018-live-score-latest-updates/ . 11 January 2022 . subscription . live . . 28 June 2018 . Alistair . Tweedale . James . Ducker .
    52. News: World Cup's most shameful moment. NewsComAu. 6 July 2018. 3 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180703162553/https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/world-cup/japan-lost-more-than-just-its-match-against-poland/news-story/73e9f194c34e27f895476893455775be. live.
    53. News: World Cup 2018: Japan go through but final group game ends in 'mind-boggling farce'. 28 June 2018. BBC Sport. 6 July 2018. en-GB. 5 July 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180705152823/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44649668. live.
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