*This content was translated by AI.
As the final roster for the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup for the Japan national football team was released, foreign media have highlighted Japan's strength. However, the impact of Kaoru Mitoma's (29, Brighton) injury appears to be significant. The weight of the team has changed.
World-class football content channel Score90 predicted Japan's best 11 to play in the 2026 North America World Cup on the 19th (Korea time).
The outlet predicted that Hajime Moriyasu, Japan's national team coach, would employ a 3-4-3 formation. Centered on Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), the 2025-2026 Eredivisie top scorer, Ritsu Doan (Freiburg) and Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) will form a front three, while Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Wataru Endo (Liverpool), and Ao Tanaka (Leeds United) will be deployed as midfielders.
The back three will consist of Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Go Itakura (Ajax), and Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), with Shion Suzuki (Parma) guarding the goal. Most of these players are regular starters for major European clubs and have rich national team experience.
However, there is a regrettable point: the absence of 'Japan's ace' Mitoma. Earlier, Mitoma played in the 36th round of the 2025-2026 English Premier League (EPL) home match against Wolverhampton at Brighton's home stadium on the 9th, but was substituted out in the 11th minute of the second half after sustaining an injury during an attacking move. He suffered a severe hamstring injury. Recovery before the World Cup seemed difficult. Coach Moriyasu agonized over whether to include him until the end, ultimately excluding Mitoma from the final World Cup roster.
This is a painful blow for the Japan national team. Mitoma is a confirmed 'crack' player, recognized as a top-tier winger even on the world's biggest stage, the English Premier League (EPL). He possesses explosive dribbling ability to break through opposing defenses, as well as lightning-fast speed to create space in an instant. Thanks to this, Japan could utilize Mitoma according to tactical situations, whether opponents deployed tight, compact defenses or launched sharp counterattacks targeting the space behind.
However, with Mitoma absent from the World Cup, Japan has lost its most reliable and destructive attacking option. In fact, Score90 awarded star ratings based on the abilities of Japanese players, and only Takefusa Kubo received four stars, the level of world-class. Center-back Ito, who plays for Bayern Munich, and Liverpool midfielder Endo received three stars.
Japan Football Channel also expressed concern that the burden on the flank player Nakamura could increase due to Mitoma's absence. It pointed out that other wingers besides Nakamura are stronger in defense than attack, and the aggressive tactic of deploying both Mitoma and Nakamura in the second line has disappeared. Another outlet, Mainichi News, explained, "With Mitoma gone, Japan is trying to make up for it with organizational strength."
Meanwhile, Japan was placed in Group F along with the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden for the North America World Cup. Next month on the 15th, they will play their first group stage match against the 'football powerhouse' Netherlands. Through the North America World Cup, Japan will have appeared on the World Cup stage for the eighth time in its history. They have recorded their best-ever result of reaching the Round of 16 in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022.
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*This content was translated by AI.
