Japan National Football Team

Japan have been one of Asian football's most consistent forces since the late 1990s. The national side, nicknamed Samurai Blue, were founded under the Japan Football Association in 1921 and made their first World Cup appearance in 1998 in France. Since the JFA's professionalisation drive in the early 1990s, which spawned the J-League and the 2002 World Cup co-hosting bid, Japan have qualified for every World Cup. They have lifted the AFC Asian Cup four times (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011), more than any other Asian nation, and have produced a steady pipeline of European-based players, with most of the current squad based across the Bundesliga, Eredivisie, Premier League and Belgian Pro League. Their style under Hajime Moriyasu, in charge since 2018, is built on a compact mid-block, fast vertical transitions and the wing speed of players like Ritsu Doan and Junya Ito. They have been one of the more tactically flexible sides at recent tournaments, alternating between a back four and a back three depending on the opposition.

Japan's defining tournament remains 2022, when they finished top of a Group E that contained both Germany and Spain. They came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in their opener, then beat Spain 2-1 in the final group fixture with Ao Tanaka's controversial goal from a ball that appeared to have crossed the touchline. They lost the round-of-16 tie against Croatia on penalties. Other historic moments: a 2-0 win against Russia in Yokohama in 2002, their first ever World Cup victory; a group-stage upset of Denmark in 2010 that included a brilliant Keisuke Honda free kick; and the heartbreaking 3-2 round-of-16 loss to Belgium in 2018, when they led 2-0 with twenty minutes left.