Samurai Blue · Group F
Japan are Asia's standard-bearers, having qualified for every World Cup since 1998 and stunned Germany and Spain in 2022. Coached by Hajime Moriyasu, the Samurai Blue boast a deep pool of European-based talent. They are determined to finally reach the quarter-finals.
Key squad members (selected). Full match-day squads update from the live feed.
The favourites dominate the headlines, but World Cups are often defined by the teams nobody expected. We look at four dark horses for 2026, Morocco, Croatia, Uruguay and Japan, and why each could go further than the bookmakers suggest.