Japan aiming FIFA World Cup final in 2026, according to JFA President Miyamoto.

Japan’s – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – Japan’s national football team is dreaming bigger than ever before. Despite never making it past the World Cup’s round of 16, their top official, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, is filled with hope. He says the team is confident and has a clear goal: to reach the final of the next World Cup in North America.

Miyamoto, the President of the Japan Football Association, believes his team has what it takes to succeed. He points to their deep squad full of experienced players. This will be crucial for the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Japan was the very first team to qualify for the 2026 tournament. Their squad is filled with stars who play for top European clubs. This includes players like Wataru Endo at Liverpool and Ritsu Doan at Eintracht Frankfurt. The team’s confidence soared after a historic friendly win last month against the mighty Brazil, a team that has won the World Cup five times.

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Miyamoto, a former team captain himself, explained this confidence comes from their players’ daily experiences. They compete in Europe’s best leagues, like the Premier League and Bundesliga, and in the Champions League. This teaches them how to face the world’s best teams and players. He hopes this self-belief will allow them to show the world a new level of Japanese football.

While Japan has played in every World Cup since 1998, they have never reached the quarter-finals. No Asian team has ever played in the final, though South Korea came close by reaching the semi-finals in 2002. Miyamoto knows the round of 16 hurdle well, as his own team was eliminated there in 2002. Japan also faced the same frustrating exit in 2010, 2018, and 2022.

Their last World Cup loss in Qatar was especially tough. After beating powerhouses Germany and Spain in the group stage, they were knocked out by Croatia in a penalty shoot-out. Miyamoto says the current team has the confidence to finally move past that stage and even dream of the final. He fully supports this ambitious goal.

He admits that such a bold dream would have seemed surprising years ago. Now, it feels possible. The team’s coach, Hajime Moriyasu, agrees that while winning the whole tournament might be a stretch, reaching the final is a realistic target. This belief marks a new and exciting chapter for Japanese football.

Coach Moriyasu will lead the team for his second World Cup. He will likely pick a squad that includes many players from the 2022 tournament. Miyamoto feels that the painful lessons learned in Qatar, especially the close loss to Croatia, are very valuable. These shared experiences will help the team handle pressure and share the load, pushing them to a new level.

Recording their first ever win over five-times world champions Brazil in a friendly last month has only fuelled their ambition further.

“The players are all playing football in Europe, in the Champions League, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, and they know how they should play against big teams and great players,” said Miyamoto, a former national team captain.

“This kind of confidence will show something new to the world, we hope. What we can do is prepare for the World Cup, for the team to reach where we want to.”

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Japan have played at every World Cup since making their debut in 1998 but have never reached the quarter-finals while no Asian nation has ever advanced to the final, South Korea coming closest on home soil in 2002 with a run to the semis.

Miyamoto played in the Philippe Troussier-coached side who were eliminated by Turkey in the last 16 that same year when Japan co-hosted the finals, and the country lost at the same stage in 2010, 2018 and 2022.

Their elimination in Qatar three years ago came in a penalty shoot-out against Croatia at a tournament where the Samurai Blue had defeated both Germany and Spain in the group phase.

“We need to get through the round of 16, but they’ve got the confidence to advance further, maybe until the final,” Miyamoto said. “If they want that, I would support them.

“Twenty years ago we couldn’t say that. Ten years ago Keisuke (Honda), Yuto (Nagatomo) said the aim was to be champions. Maybe 10 years ago it sounded surprising.”

Coach Hajime Moriyasu thinks Japan are not quite ready to win a World Cup but believes a place in the final is not out the question, said Miyamoto.

“Our coach, during our meetings, he says all the time that we are not a real candidate to win the World Cup but he says, at the same time, we might have a chance to get to the final.

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“Everybody has a new chapter. There are reasons that we can accept the team will be able to.”

Moriyasu will be coaching Japan for the second time at a World Cup and is likely to select a squad featuring at least 10 of the players who featured in 2022, and Miyamoto feels the team will benefit from the lessons learned in Qatar.

“Those kind of experiences are very important to get to a new level,” said the former central defender.

“Some players who are still playing for the national team have had certain experiences that they can share with the new players during the World Cup.

“We can share the burden, the load.”