Japan - World Cup Profile

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Road to Qatar 2022

Japan booked their place at the World Cup in dramatic style with a game to spare, as two late goals from substitute Kaoru Mitoma earned a memorable 2-0 away victory in Sydney to secure second place ahead of the Socceroos.

Japan have been a World Cup ever-present since 1998, and manager Hajime Moriyasu will be aiming to guide the nation past their previous best Round of 16 finish.

History at the World Cup

1998 - Group stage  2002 - Round of 16  2006 - Group stage  2010 - Round of 16  2014 - Group stage  2018 - Round of 16

Player to watch

Wataru Endo, 29, is the gumshield-wearing midfield lynchpin who holds Japan together. A non-playing member of the squad in 2018, Endo won the AFC Champions League with Urawa Red Diamonds before moving to Europe. He played for Sint-Truiden in Belgium and then joined Stuttgart, the side he now captains and for whom he scored the stoppage-time goal that kept them in the Bundesliga on the final day of last season.

Group fixtures

November 23: Germany v Japan November 27: Japan v Costa Rica December 1: Japan v Spain

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