*This content was translated by AI.
Even before the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America begins, Hajime Moriyasu, head coach of the Japanese national team, has become a topic of discussion after shedding hot tears while announcing the final roster for the tournament.
Japanese media outlet "Daily" reported on the 15th that "Coach Moriyasu became emotional and his eyes welled up while reading the names of the 26th players who will compete in the World Cup finals during a press conference held in Tokyo."
According to local reports, before announcing the roster, Coach Moriyasu said, "Many players have gathered their desire to fight for Japan during the journey toward the World Cup. Although we can only select 26 players today, we will enter the finals carrying the hearts of all players who have fought with us so far," as he wiped away tears.
Regarding the reason for his tears during the press conference, he explained, "It was difficult to control my emotions when thinking of players who could not fulfill their dream of standing on the World Cup stage. At this moment, we have selected the best 26 players to compete against the world."
The biggest surprise of this roster announcement was the exclusion of ace Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion). Mitoma, who recently suffered a left hamstring injury during a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League (EPL) with his club, ultimately could not overcome the injury barrier and was left out of the final roster. Meanwhile, veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo) achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Japanese player to participate in five World Cups.
Japan is betting everything on this World Cup. Recently, Japan stunned the world by defeating European powerhouses Scotland and England, both 1-0, in consecutive A-match games. In particular, British media outlet "BBC" evaluated after the England match that "England was completely outmaneuvered by Japan's organization and speed."
Furthermore, the confidence of the Japanese national team is soaring. After defeating England, Coach Moriyasu revealed his ambition, stating, "Many people think Japan's victory is impossible, but we will prove that possibility as a dark horse."
Aiming for the World Cup title, Japan will complete its final preparations with a friendly match against Iceland on the 31st, before facing the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden in the group stage of the next month's tournament.
GK: Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Zion Suzuki (Parma)
DF: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden VV), Go Itakura (Ajax), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen), Junnosuke Suzuki (FC Copenhagen)
MF/FW: Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Junya Ito (KRC Genk), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Oga Goki (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic FC), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims), Gaishu Sano (Mainz 05), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Suzuki Ito (SC Freiburg), Kento Shioda (VfL Wolfsburg), Gaisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden VV)
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
