Japan's national football team will face Brazil, the most decorated nation in World Cup history, without its ace Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad). The absence of a key player is unavoidable, but head coach Hajime Moriyasu expressed strong determination to reach the quarterfinals for the first time, vowing to "change history."
ESPN, the U.S. sports outlet, reported Sunday that Moriyasu said at an official press conference ahead of the Round of 32 match against Brazil at the 2026 World Cup: "Kubo is still only doing individual running and training, so he cannot play against Brazil." Moriyasu added, "We all hope for Kubo's quick recovery, and the player himself feels the same way."
Kubo has been focused on rehabilitation since injuring his left knee in the group stage opener against the Netherlands on the 15th of this month. He sat out both the Tunisia and Sweden matches, and was reported to have completed a separate individual program apart from his teammates during the open training session ahead of the Brazil match.
Japan finished second in Group F, which included the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia, with one win and two draws and no losses, advancing to the knockout stage. Despite losing Kubo early in the group stage, the team survived on the strength of its organization. In particular, it earned praise for its balance between attack and defense, including a 4-0 thrashing of Tunisia.
Japan will face Group C winners Brazil for a place in the Round of 16 at Houston Stadium in Texas at 2 a.m. on the 30th. Japanese football has never reached the World Cup quarterfinals. It failed to clear the Round of 16 hurdle at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, the 2010 South Africa World Cup, the 2018 Russia World Cup and the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
But Japanese football has recently built confidence against world powerhouses. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, it beat Germany and Spain in succession, and it also drew with the Netherlands at this tournament. In a friendly held in Tokyo last October, Japan came from behind to beat Brazil 3-2, recording its first win against the nation in 14 matches.
"It is clear that Brazil is one of the world's top teams and always a title contender," Moriyasu said. "But we are aiming to win the World Cup, and whenever a chance comes, we gain the belief that we can win." He stressed, "Many people will call Japan the underdog, but we beat Brazil last year too when we were given no chance. I believe we can change history again this time."
He has also prepared for the possibility of a penalty shootout. Referring to Japan's loss to Croatia at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Moriyasu said, "This time I will not leave it to the players, but will decide the order of kickers myself."
Brazil is also keeping its guard up. Led by Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil advanced to the Round of 32 as Group C winners with two wins and one draw in the group stage. With Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick at the forefront, Brazil is bidding for its sixth World Cup title, but also carries the task of avenging last year's defeat to Japan.
