Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fantasy campaign, we’re taking a closer look at each nation competing at this summer’s tournament – highlighting their recent form, qualifying matches, key players and more.
- READ MORE: World Cup 2026: Confirmed squads so far
Japan became the first nation outside of the host countries to officially qualify for the tournament and will now prepare for an eighth consecutive World Cup appearance.
Stability has also played a major role in their success. Hajime Moriyasu has spent eight years in charge of the national side, helping build a well-drilled and tactically flexible squad capable of competing with some of the world’s strongest nations.
Recent years have shown exactly how dangerous Japan can be on the biggest stage. They famously came from 2-0 down to beat Brazil for the first time in their history and also secured an impressive victory over England at Wembley. During recent World Cups, they have beaten both Spain and Germany, while also reaching the round of 16 in three of the last four tournaments.
SQUAD
Hajime Moriyasu announced his final squad for the upcoming World Cup on May 15.
Star player Kaoru Mitoma picked up an injury ahead of the tournament and ultimately missed out on Japan’s final squad. The Brighton & Hove Albion winger has played a huge role in the Samurai Blue’s recent success, so his absence is a major blow to the side.
THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION
As already highlighted, Japan became the first nation outside of the host countries to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after producing an excellent qualifying campaign.
The Samurai Blue won an outstanding 12 of their 15 matches while scoring a remarkable 54 goals along the way. They also kept 12 clean sheets, underlining just how strong they looked at both ends of the pitch throughout the qualifiers.
Their only defeat came against Australia, although Japan heavily rotated for that match and fielded what was effectively a third-string side.
An average of 3.4 goals per 90 minutes comfortably exceeded every other nation in the qualification campaign. And 0.2 goals conceded per match was also a confederation-low.
The underlying numbers back up those eye-catching figures:
BIGGEST GOAL THREATS IN QUALIFICATION
The above xG is non-penalty
The standout attacker when looking at Japan’s output during qualifying was forward Ayase Ueda ($7.0m). The Feyenoord striker scored eight goals during the campaign and converted an impressive third of his total attempts on target.
He led the way for xG, too, and scored a penalty.
Koki Ogawa ($4.9m) also produced excellent numbers despite far more limited minutes. He played less than half the gametime of Ueda but still managed to score six times. However, he may need to settle for a role off the bench during the tournament itself.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada ($5.8m) found the net five times during qualifying, which proved enough to secure his place in the final squad. The same can’t be said for Takumi Minamino though. Despite scoring four goals during the campaign, he ultimately failed to make the cut.
Defender Ritsu Doan‘s ($5.1m) figures also pop out: 22 shots, three goals and a squad-second-best 3.89 xG.
MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS IN QUALIFYING
Takefusa Kubo ($7.0m) led the way creatively during qualifying. The Real Sociedad playmaker produced a huge 30 key passes, with set pieces and corners also contributing heavily to that total. From those chances created, he registered eight assists, although that surprisingly wasn’t the highest total in the squad.
That honour instead went to 33-year-old veteran Junya Ito ($5.0m), who produced an outstanding 10 assists in just 446 minutes of action. Despite such an impressive qualifying campaign, Ito could still find himself used mainly as an impact option from the bench during the tournament.
Doan is prominent in the above table, too, with 13 key passes.
SINCE QUALIFYING
| Date | Opposition | Result | Goalscorers | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 September 2025 | v Mexico | 0-0 (D) | – | – |
| 10 September 2025 | v USA | 0-2 (L) | – | – |
| 10 October 2025 | v Paraguay | 2-2 (D) | Ogawa, Ueda | Sano, Iito |
| 14 October 2025 | v Brazil | 3-2 (W) | Minamino, Nakamura, Ueda | Ito, Ito |
| 14 November 2025 | v Ghana | 2-0 (W) | Minamino, Doan | Sano, Kubo |
| 18 November 2025 | v Bolivia | 3-0 (W) | Kamada, Machino, Nakamura | Kubo x2, Nakamura |
| 28 March 2026 | v Scotland | 1-0 (W) | Ito | Shiogai |
| 31 March 2026 | v England | 1-0 (W) | Mitoma | Nakamura |
| 31 May 2026 | v Iceland | 1-0 (W) | Ogawa | Sugawara |
Whilst their opening friendlies of 2025 produced mixed results, with Japan failing to beat Mexico, the United States, and Paraguay.
However, the Samurai Blue quickly rediscovered their rhythm. Victories over fellow World Cup nations Ghana and Scotland impressed, but it was the stunning 3-2 comeback win against Brazil and the 1-0 victory over England at Wembley Stadium that really grabbed attention.
Japan now head into the tournament full of confidence and carrying strong momentum. Unbeaten in eight, they’ve won their last five matches to nil.
WORLD CUP FIXTURES
It’s a tricky start for Moriyasu’s troops, who face the group favourites. Given Japan’s form and the Netherlands’ capacity to implode, however, you wouldn’t be too surprised if the bookies’ odds were upset.
Thereafter, Japan become seriously good Fantasy targets.
A beleaguered Tunisia side and a Sweden outfit that concedes for fun follow.
TOP FANTASY PICKS
We saw just how strong Japan looked defensively during the qualification campaign, and in subsequent friendlies, so their backline could offer a good chance of clean sheets from Round 2 onwards – perhaps even before.
The Samurai Blue operate with a back-three system, which gives their wing-backs far more freedom to push forward and contribute in attack.
One of those is Ritsu Doan ($5.1m). More of a winger at club level, he registered 18 Bundesliga attacking returns for Freiburg in 2024/25, earning himself a move to Eintracht Frankfurt last summer.
No Japan player bettered his expected goal involvement (xGI) figure of 5.29 in qualification, while his shot map shows the types of dangerous areas he’s capable of occupying:
Fellow wing-back Keito Nakamura ($5.6m) has been listed as a midfielder, which dents his appeal. He did deliver four attacking returns in his last six friendly appearances, however, so is still a valid pick even without the clean sheets.
Among Japan’s other midfield options, Takefusa Kubo ($7.0m) stands out as arguably the most appealing pick, especially with Mitoma ruled out.
Set pieces played a major role in Kubo producing a huge 30 key passes during qualifying, comfortably more than any of his teammates. The Real Sociedad star also delivered strong end product, scoring four goals and registering eight assists during the AFC campaign.
None of his teammates could get close to his combined shots and key passes tally:
Leading the line is striker Ayase Ueda ($7.0m), who scored eight goals during the qualification campaign and firmly established himself as Japan’s biggest attacking threat heading into the tournament.
Ueda also takes penalties for his country, which only increases his appeal even further from a World Cup Fantasy perspective.
He comes into the tournament off the back of a 25-goal season with Feyenoord, too.
