Japan's national football team put up a strong fight against Brazil but conceded a winning goal in second-half stoppage time, ending its journey at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Despite the disappointment of elimination, head coach Hajime Moriyasu offered a positive assessment of the past four years of growth, saying the team was "getting closer to the world's best."
Japan lost 2-1 in a come-from-behind defeat to Brazil in the round of 32 held at Houston Stadium in Texas on Monday. Japan took the lead with an opening goal from Kaishu Sano in the 29th minute of the first half, signaling another upset, but conceded an equalizer to Casemiro in the 11th minute of the second half and fell to a winning goal by Gabriel Martinelli in the 50th minute of second-half stoppage time.
According to Japanese media including Sponichi Annex, Moriyasu said at a post-match press conference, "It is truly regrettable that we have to end our tournament here."
Moriyasu, who had set winning the World Cup as his goal, said, "The players gave their best until the end today, and they cherished and prepared for each day throughout the tournament. The staff also devoted themselves to supporting the team. It is so disappointing now, but I want to accept this result."
Japan suffered considerable losses in its squad for the tournament. Key forwards Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma were excluded from the final roster due to injuries, and captain Wataru Endo also left the national team. Takefusa Kubo was also unable to complete the remaining schedule after injuring his left knee in the first group-stage match.
Despite the absence of key players, Japan recorded one win and two draws in the so-called "group of death" alongside the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia, finishing second in Group F undefeated to advance to the knockout stage.
Japan was also assessed to have gained confidence from the content of its match against Brazil. In a friendly held in Tokyo last October, Japan defeated Brazil 3-2, earning its first win in 14 meetings against the team. In this match, played again after about eight months, Japan put up an even contest against the world's strongest team but was eliminated after conceding a goal just before the end.
Moriyasu said, "The gap with Brazil has clearly narrowed significantly," adding, "I felt that Japan is also definitely getting closer to the world's top level." However, he acknowledged reality, saying, "In the end, losing also means that a gap still exists."
He went on to say, "The amount of time we led the game increased, and we were able to organize ourselves to defend against the opponent's strong offensive," while emphasizing, "To win, we must develop further in both attack and defense." He added, "In the process of transitioning from defense to attack, we must further improve our ability to escape the opponent's first press, the accuracy of our passes, and the speed of our transitions in order to compete on even terms with the world's powerhouses."
Japan has qualified for eight consecutive World Cup finals since the 1998 France tournament. Its best result is the round of 16, achieved in the 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022 tournaments. In this tournament, with the number of participating nations expanded to 48, teams played a round of 32 after passing the group stage, but Japan failed to overcome the barrier of its first knockout match.
Moriyasu, who led the Japanese national team for two consecutive tournaments following the 2022 Qatar World Cup, said, "We have worked steadily since the Qatar tournament, and the team's level has clearly risen over the past four years." His contract expires at the end of this tournament, and regarding his future, he said, "Nothing has been decided yet."
