Japan team is too scary

Japan won a ticket to the 2026 World Cup with overwhelming strength.

After a 2-0 win over Bahrain on March 20, the “Blue Samurai” marked their 8th consecutive appearance at the biggest football festival on the planet, and will set foot in North America - where the tournament will be held next summer.

Japan's near-perfect qualifying performance showed their dominance, and also raised the question: Can the team dream bigger at next year's World Cup?

Impression

Under the guidance of coach Hajime Moriyasu, Japan showed amazing form in Group C of the third qualifying round of the Asian zone. With 19 points after 7 matches and an unbeaten record (6 wins and 1 draw), they are 9 points ahead of Australia - the second-placed team.

The 2-0 win over Bahrain is a clear demonstration of the team's sharp attack and stability. Looking further, Japan has not lost a match since the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia.

In the second qualifying round, they won all six matches, scoring 24 goals without conceding a single one. In the third qualifying round, Australia were the only team to take a point against Japan, in a 1-1 draw last October.

Previously, Japan had caught the world's attention when they defeated the two giants Spain and Germany at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, or crushed Turkey and Germany (again) in friendlies in 2023.

The level of "Samurai Blue" has surpassed the common level of Asian football, approaching the top teams in Europe and South America.

A formidable force

Coach Moriyasu, who took over after the 2018 World Cup, has built a squad that perfectly blends youth and experience. Of the 27 Japanese players called up in March, 22 are playing in European leagues - a number that speaks to their superior quality compared to the rest of the continent.

Kubo shines to help Japan win a ticket to the World Cup.

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco), Take Kubo (Real Sociedad) continue to be the brightest stars in Japan's attack, with transfer values currently reaching tens of millions of euros. But the team from the land of the rising sun does not only depend on them.

Another striker, Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), leads the scoring list in the qualifying round with 8 goals. Even Daizen Maeda, Celtic's main striker this season in the Champions League, was not used for a single minute against Bahrain.

In defense, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki - a 22-year-old talent with Ghanaian and Japanese blood - emerged as a solid support when he excelled with Parma in Serie A this season. After many years focusing on youth training, the sweet fruit has come to Japanese football when they own many players who play in the top European leagues.

More than half of Japan's starting XI in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers regularly play in the Champions League or Europa League this season, ensuring competition and top-level performances.

Japan is facing a golden opportunity to assert its position among the world's football powers at the 2026 World Cup. With a spot in the 2026 World Cup in hand, Coach Moriyasu does not hide his ambition to take Japan further than the round of 16 - the best achievement this football nation has ever achieved in history.