"The World Cup Final List Plan Completed" Surprise Declaration, 'Brazil → Breaking England' Explodes Confidence... Even the relaxation of "picking a big twist."

*This content was translated by AI.

The confidence of the Japanese national team, which has defeated the world's soccer powerhouses in a row, is sky high. Japanese national team coach Hajime Moriyasu said in person that he has virtually completed his final roster plan ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in North Korea and China.

According to a report by Japanese media 'Football Zone' on the 7th, Moriyasu, who returned home from an away trip to Europe, told local reporters, "We won the away game against a difficult opponent. I think this game will give confidence to the players and drive them to grow," he said.

Recently, Japanese soccer has seen an all-time rise. In March, they defeated Scotland and England 1-0 in an away match in Europe. Starting with Brazil (3-2 wins) last year, Japan won five consecutive A-match series after Ghana (2-0) and Bolivia (3-0). Coach Moriyasu reportedly stayed in the country after the away game and watched the games of Ajax and Frankfurt, the teams of the national team players.

In addition, he has completed his plan to enter the World Cup finals to some extent. Regarding the final list of the World Cup, Moriyasu said, "It will be a very difficult and fierce process to select the list," but added, "The overall plan has already been completed to some extent."

However, injuries and poor conditions of the main players are still variables. Currently, Endo Wataru (Liverpool) and Minamino Takumi (Monaco) are recovering from injuries, and prospect Ryunosuke Sato (Paziano Okayama) is also suffering from poor condition.

In response, Moriyasu said, "We have been working on a list based on our performances in the national team. I think the general framework has been set, but I'm concerned that there are injuries in March, but I hope the players will remain in their best condition. The final list decision will be made in consideration of various situations until just before the deadline, he added.

The most eye-catching part is whether Takehiro Tomiyasu (currently Ajax), who played for Arsenal, will be selected. Tomiyasu's first national team call-up in a year and nine months was canceled due to injury. However, Moriyasu said, "I visited Ajax in person and talked with Tomiyas," adding, "I really want to check how Tomiyas plays in the actual game."

"If Domiyasu can play in good condition, even if he is not 100% now, he will naturally consider selecting him as long as he is confident that he can raise his physical condition during the tournament," he added.

Regarding Minamino, who is injured, he also said, "I'm looking forward to returning, but I'm not necessarily contacting him a lot so that he can focus on rehabilitation calmly," and expressed his intention to put player protection first.

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*This content was translated by AI.