Japan arrived at the 2026 World Cup with growing expectations after years of steady progress on the international stage, bringing a talented squad capable of challenging some of the tournament’s traditional powers.
From established stars playing in Europe’s top leagues to young contributors ready for a breakthrough, these are the players most likely to determine how far the Samurai Blue can advance this summer.
Hajime Moriyasu built his 26-man squad around a European-based core, but the road to North America brought early setbacks. Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma and Liverpool captain Wataru Endo — two of Japan’s most important players — were both ruled out before the opening whistle, the former with a hamstring tear and the latter with a foot injury that also ended his international career.
Takefusa Kubo: Japan’s Creative Force
GettyTakefusa Kubo #8 of Japan.
No player carries the Samurai Blue’s attacking hopes more than Takefusa Kubo. The 25-year-old Real Sociedad winger finished the 2025-26 season with two goals and four assists in 24 La Liga appearances — figures that understate his wider contribution, given his expanded role linking midfield to attack from deeper positions.
Kubo sealed Japan’s World Cup qualifying clincher against Bahrain in March 2025, scoring in the 87th minute of a 2-0 win that made Japan the first nation outside the host countries to secure a North America berth. He and Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada finished as Japan’s joint top scorers in AFC qualifying with four goals each.
He added a Copa del Rey winners’ medal with Real Sociedad in April 2026, capping a season that cemented his status as a big-game performer. Moriyasu now asks him to unlock organized defenses from the half-spaces, a more demanding brief than the wide winger role he held at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ritsu Doan: Japan’s Wide Threat
GettyRitsu Doan of Japan.
Ritsu Doan brings the kind of résumé Moriyasu needs when knockout football arrives. At the 2022 World Cup, the Eintracht Frankfurt winger came off the bench to score the equalizer in both Japan’s comeback win over Germany and its group-stage victory over Spain.
The 2025-26 Bundesliga season produced five goals and five assists in 31 appearances, according to Bundesliga.com. The 28-year-old carries 64 international caps and 11 goals into the tournament. Moriyasu deploys him as a wingback in Japan’s 3-4-2-1 setup, demanding more defensive discipline than Frankfurt typically requires.
“I have the feeling I can keep improving and arrive at the World Cup with even greater determination than the last time,” Doan said, as quoted by Bundesliga.com. “I feel that people are counting on me.”
Ayase Ueda: Eredivisie Golden Boot Winner
GettyAyase Ueda of Japan.
Ayase Ueda arrives in North America as arguably the hottest striker in Europe outside the continent’s most elite leagues. The Feyenoord forward claimed the 2025-26 Eredivisie Golden Boot with 25 goals, winning the award by an eight-goal margin, and finished with 26 goals across all competitions.
Ueda leads Japan’s squad with 16 international goals in 38 caps. He lives in the box with right-footed finishing, aerial threat and shot volume that ranked him among the Eredivisie’s most aggressive forwards all season.
Japan opened the tournament with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, coming back twice from a deficit. The Samurai Blue have the firepower for a deep run if Kubo, Doan and Ueda deliver when the moment demands it.
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