The 2026 World Cup’s first confirmed team has a secret few are noticing | OneFootball

The Japanese national team is the first team to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. With a flawless campaign in the Asian Qualifiers, the Samurai Blue secured their place in the tournament three rounds ahead of schedule. Is this team going to make some noise on the international stage, however, or are their good numbers just a result of playing weaker teams?

Domination in the Qualifiers

Over the last few years, Japan has been building a more competitive squad, with lots of players plying their trade in Europe's top league. Last year's hammering win against Germany sent waves around the soccer world, Japan is no longer just an efficient and disciplined unit. They have turned into a team that combines technique, quickness, and a clear identity on the field. But at the World Cup, experience and history are to be reckoned with. Can this generation get teams that are capable of delivering when it is most needed?

Japan's record in the Asian Qualifiers is staggering: 12 wins, one draw, 48 goals scored, and a defense almost impossible to penetrate. These records command respect and raise a question that is inexorable: is the competition in Asia really dictating the World Cup class of the Samurai Blue?

Historically, the biggest foes of Japan in the region have been squads like South Korea, Iran, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. Yet even against those squads, the test is not always as formidable as that of a World Cup. When they are playing against powerhouses, things change. Japan has faced friendlies against stronger nations, but is that enough to prepare for a knockout-stage battle against France, Argentina, or England?

The impact of European soccer on Japan's National Team

Where this generation differs from previous ones is with the number of players competing at the highest level in Europe. And we are not talking about those who are playing for second divisions or lower table teams. There are Japanese players playing in top sides like Bayern Munich and Liverpool nowadays. Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Minamino (Monaco), Mitoma (Brighton), and Ito and Endo, are names familiar to any soccer fan.

This European influence must be acknowledged. Japan, formerly renowned primarily for its tactical hardness, now has technically more accomplished players, accustomed to competition on the highest stage and increasingly more confident against global-class opponents. Their 4-1 mauling of Germany last season was no one-off. Japan had already beaten Germany out of the 2022 World Cup, and again they did so in even more commanding fashion.

But to be good in friendlies and to post good numbers in the qualifiers is not necessarily success. Competing in Europe might have improved the standard of Japanese players, but the winning culture that defines World Cup champions is something that they still have to prove on the field.