Japan’s World Cup 2026 team preview: Players to watch, group, squad

Previous World Cup appearances: 7 Best performance: Last 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022) First appearance: 1998 (France) Top goal scorer: Keisuke Honda (4) Most appearances: Yuto Nagatomo (15) Player to watch: Takefusa Kubo FIFA world ranking: 18th Fixtures: Netherlands (June 14, Dallas, US), Tunisia (June 20, Monterrey, Mexico), Sweden (June 25, Dallas, US) Japan have been late bloomers in terms of World Cups, only reaching the tournament for the first time in 1998 – but since then they have been …