Team Overview
The Japan national football team ( Japanese : サッカー日本代表 , Hepburn : Sakkā Nihon Daihyō or Sakkā Nippon Daihyō ) , also known by the nickname Samurai Blue ( Japanese : サムライ・ブルー , Hepburn : Samurai Burū ) , represents Japan in men's international football . It is controlled by the Japan Football Association (JFA), the governing body for football in Japan . Prior to the late 1980s, Japan's national football team was largely amateur, with the sport less popular domestically than baseball or sumo . Since the early 1990s, following the full professionalization of the sport, Japan has emerged as one of Asia's leading teams. The national team has qualified for every FIFA World Cup since 1998 (including an automatic berth as co-hosts of the 2002 tournament alongside South Korea ), advancing to the knockout stage in 2002, 2010 , 2018 , and 2022 . Japan has also won a record four Asian Cup titles, in 1992 , 2000 , 2004 , and 2011 . In addition, the team finished as runners-up in both the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2019 Asian Cup . Japan is one of only three teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to have reached the final of a senior FIFA men's competition, alongside Australia and Saudi Arabia .
2026 Fixtures
| Date | Match | Group / Round | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-14 15:00 UTC-5 | Netherlands vs Japan | Group F | Dallas (Arlington) | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-20 22:00 UTC-6 | Tunisia vs Japan | Group F | Monterrey (Guadalupe) | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-25 18:00 UTC-5 | Japan vs Sweden | Group F | Dallas (Arlington) | SCHEDULED |
Honours
| Global: FIFA Confederations Cup Runners-up (1): 2001 |
| Global: Olympic Games Bronze medal (1): 1968 |
| Intercontinental: Afro-Asian Cup of Nations Champions (2) : 1993 , 2007 |
| Intercontinental: AFC–OFC Challenge Cup Champions (1) : 2001 |
| Continental: AFC Asian Cup Champions (4) : 1992 , 2000 , 2004 , 2011 Runners-up (1): 2019 |
| Continental: Asian Games 1 Bronze medal (2): 1951 , 1966 |
| Regional: Far Eastern Games Gold medal (1) : 1930 |
| Regional: EAFF East Asian Cup / EAFF E-1 Football Championship Champions (3) : 2013 , 2022 , 2025 Runners-up (5): 2003 , 2005 , 2008 , 2017 , 2019 Third place (1): 2010 |
| Friendly: Kirin Cup (12) : 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 |
| Friendly: Dynasty Cup (3) : 1992 , 1995 , 1998 |
| Friendly: Bangabandhu Cup (1) : 1999 |
| Awards: FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Award (2) : 2001 , 2003 |
| Awards: AFC National Team of the Year (6) : 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011 |
| Awards: AFC Asian Cup Fair Play Award (2) : 2007, 2019 |
| Awards: EAFF Championship Fair Play Award (1) : 2005 |
| Awards: Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize (1) : 2002 |
Competition Records
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 | Withdrew | Qualified as invitees | ||||||
| 1934 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1938 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||
| 1950 | Suspended from FIFA | Suspended from FIFA | ||||||
| 1954 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |
| 1958 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1962 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1966 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1970 | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 1974 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 1978 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
Match history
| FIFA World Cup history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1998 | Group stage | Argentina | 0–1 | Loss |
| Croatia | 0–1 | Loss | ||
| Jamaica | 1–2 | Loss | ||
| 2002 | Group stage | Belgium | 2–2 | Draw |
| Russia | 1–0 | Win | ||
| Tunisia | 2–0 | Win | ||
| Round of 16 | Turkey | 0–1 | Loss | |
| 2006 | Group stage | Australia | 1–3 | Loss |
| Croatia | 0–0 | Draw |
AFC Asian Cup
| AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1956 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||
| 1960 | ||||||||
| 1964 | ||||||||
| 1968 | Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1972 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||
| 1976 | Did not qualify | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| 1980 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||
| 1984 | ||||||||
| 1988 | Group stage | 10th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 1992 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| 1996 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
Match history
| AFC Asian Cup history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1988 | Group stage | Iran | 0–0 | Draw |
| South Korea | 0–2 | Loss | ||
| United Arab Emirates | 0–1 | Loss | ||
| Qatar | 0–3 | Loss | ||
| 1992 | Group stage | United Arab Emirates | 0–0 | Draw |
| North Korea | 1–1 | Draw | ||
| Iran | 1–0 | Win | ||
| Semi-finals | China | 3–2 | Win | |
| Final | Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Win |
Copa América
| Copa América record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1999 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 2011 | Withdrew | |||||||
| 2015 | ||||||||
| 2019 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Total | Group stage | 2/4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
FIFA Confederations Cup
| FIFA Confederations Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1992 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1995 | Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 1997 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1999 | ||||||||
| 2001 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 2003 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 2005 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2013 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 2017 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| Total | Runners-up | 5/10 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 25 |
Match history
| FIFA Confederations Cup history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 1995 | Group stage | Nigeria | 0–3 | Loss |
| Argentina | 1–5 | Loss | ||
| 2001 | Group stage | Canada | 3–0 | Win |
| Cameroon | 2–0 | Win | ||
| Brazil | 0–0 | Draw | ||
| Semi-finals | Australia | 1–0 | Win | |
| Final | France | 0–1 | Loss | |
| 2003 | Group stage | New Zealand | 3–0 | Win |
| France | 1–2 | Loss |
Olympic Games
| Summer Olympics record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | M | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1908 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1912 | ||||||||
| 1920 | ||||||||
| 1924 | ||||||||
| 1928 | ||||||||
| 1936 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 1948 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||
| 1952 | ||||||||
| 1956 | First round | 10th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1960 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1964 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
Current Squad
| Pos | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| GK | Alexandre Pisano | 1 | 0 | Nagoya Grampus |
| GK | Kōsei Tani | 3 | 0 | Machida Zelvia |
| GK | Leo Kokubo | 0 | 0 | Sint-Truiden |
| GK | Taishi Brandon Nozawa | 0 | 0 | Antwerp |
| Defenders | ||||
| DF | Daiki Hashioka | 12 | 0 | Gent |
| DF | Hayato Araki | 4 | 0 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| DF | Hiroki Sekine | 3 | 0 | Reims |
| DF | Kōki Machida | 17 | 0 | TSG Hoffenheim |
| DF | Kōta Takai | 4 | 0 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| DF | Maya Yoshida | 127 | 12 | LA Galaxy |
| DF | Naomichi Ueda | 18 | 1 | Kashima Antlers |
| DF | Taiyo Koga | 3 | 0 | Kashiwa Reysol |
| DF | Tomoya Ando | 3 | 0 | FC St. Pauli |
| DF | Yuto Tsunashima | 1 | 0 | Antwerp |
| Midfielders | ||||
| MF | Hayao Kawabe | 8 | 1 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| MF | Henry Heroki Mochizuki | 5 | 1 | Machida Zelvia |
| MF | Joel Chima Fujita | 8 | 0 | FC St. Pauli |
| MF | Kaoru Mitoma | 31 | 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| MF | Kodai Sano | 2 | 0 | NEC Nijmegen |
| MF | Koki Kumasaka | 0 | 0 | Kashiwa Reysol |
| MF | Kōki Saitō | 1 | 0 | Queens Park Rangers |
| MF | Kōta Tawaratsumida | 3 | 0 | FC Tokyo |
| MF | Ryōya Morishita | 3 | 1 | Blackburn Rovers |
| MF | Ryūnosuke Satō | 5 | 0 | FC Tokyo |
| MF | Satoshi Tanaka | 1 | 0 | Fortuna Düsseldorf |
| MF | Sho Inagaki | 4 | 3 | Nagoya Grampus |
| MF | Shunsuke Mito | 1 | 0 | Sparta Rotterdam |
| MF | Sōta Kawasaki | 0 | 0 | Mainz 05 |
| MF | Sōta Kitano | 1 | 0 | Red Bull Salzburg |
| MF | Sōta Nakamura | 2 | 1 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| MF | Takumi Minamino | 73 | 26 | Monaco |
| MF | Tojiro Kubo | 1 | 0 | Kashiwa Reysol |
| MF | Yuto Ozeki | 2 | 0 | Kawasaki Frontale |
| MF | Yū Hirakawa | 1 | 0 | Hull City |
| MF | Yūki Sōma | 19 | 5 | Machida Zelvia |
| MF | Zento Uno | 2 | 0 | Shimizu S-Pulse |
| Forwards | ||||
| FW | Mao Hosoya | 9 | 3 | Kashiwa Reysol |
| FW | Ryo Germain | 3 | 5 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| FW | Shin Yamada | 1 | 0 | Preußen Münster |
| FW | Shūto Machino | 14 | 5 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| FW | Taichi Hara | 2 | 0 | FC St. Pauli |
| FW | Taisei Miyashiro | 2 | 0 | Las Palmas |
| FW | Takuma Nishimura | 5 | 3 | Machida Zelvia |
| FW | Yuki Kakita | 2 | 0 | Kashiwa Reysol |
| FW | Yūki Ōhashi | 2 | 0 | Blackburn Rovers |
All-Time Leaders
| Most Caps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| GK | Zion Suzuki Caps | ( 2002-08-21 ) 21 August 2002 (age 23) |
| GK | Keisuke Ōsako Caps | ( 1999-07-28 ) 28 July 1999 (age 26) |
| GK | Tomoki Hayakawa Caps | ( 1999-03-03 ) 3 March 1999 (age 27) |
| DF | Yukinari Sugawara Caps | ( 2000-06-28 ) 28 June 2000 (age 25) |
| DF | Shōgo Taniguchi Caps | ( 1991-07-15 ) 15 July 1991 (age 34) |
| DF | Kō Itakura Caps | ( 1997-01-27 ) 27 January 1997 (age 29) |
| DF | Yūto Nagatomo Caps | ( 1986-09-12 ) 12 September 1986 (age 39) |
| DF | Tsuyoshi Watanabe Caps | ( 1997-02-05 ) 5 February 1997 (age 29) |
| Top Scorers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| GK | Zion Suzuki Goals | ( 2002-08-21 ) 21 August 2002 (age 23) |
| GK | Keisuke Ōsako Goals | ( 1999-07-28 ) 28 July 1999 (age 26) |
| GK | Tomoki Hayakawa Goals | ( 1999-03-03 ) 3 March 1999 (age 27) |
| DF | Yukinari Sugawara Goals | ( 2000-06-28 ) 28 June 2000 (age 25) |
| DF | Shōgo Taniguchi Goals | ( 1991-07-15 ) 15 July 1991 (age 34) |
| DF | Kō Itakura Goals | ( 1997-01-27 ) 27 January 1997 (age 29) |
| DF | Yūto Nagatomo Goals | ( 1986-09-12 ) 12 September 1986 (age 39) |
| DF | Tsuyoshi Watanabe Goals | ( 1997-02-05 ) 5 February 1997 (age 29) |