Japan Enters 2026 World Cup as Dark Horse With 9-Game Unbeaten Run vs Europe
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 14
Japan Enters 2026 World Cup as Dark Horse With 9-Game Unbeaten Run vs Europe
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 14
Summary
Japan open their 2026 World Cup against the Netherlands on Sunday with analysts increasingly backing them for a breakthrough run beyond the last 16.
Nine unbeaten matches against European opponents underpin that view after Japan beat Germany and Spain in 2022 and later defeated England, Germany and Brazil in the current cycle.
Hajime Moriyasu's 26-man squad also arrives with deeper experience: 19 players from Qatar formed the core of a qualifying campaign that made Japan the first non-host to secure a finals place.
Maya Yoshida said the immediate target is a first quarter-final, while Moriyasu has set the bar even higher by saying Japan should aim to win the tournament.
Group F also includes Sweden and Tunisia, and Japan are among several outsider picks alongside Mexico, Ecuador, Turkey and South Korea in the expanded 48-team field.