Tragedy strikes on the day of the World Cup opening! Captain Endo suffers a fall due to injury → Announces sudden retirement: "No regrets, Japan will win the World Cup"

*This content was translated by AI.

The Japan national football team faced a major setback on the opening day of the 2026 North, Central America, and Caribbean World Cup. Captain and midfield core Wataru Endo (33, Liverpool) withdrew from the final World Cup roster due to worsening injury and simultaneously announced his retirement from the national team.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) officially announced Endo's withdrawal from the national team on the 12th (Korean time) at the U.S. Nashville base camp.

Endo, who underwent surgery in February for a torn left ankle ligament, showed a rapid recovery and made the final roster. However, on the 31st of last month during a friendly match against Iceland, he played only the first half before ankle pain recurred. He was unable to participate in normal training during the camps in Mexico and the U.S., focusing solely on rehabilitation, but was ultimately decided to be withdrawn from the final roster just four days before the opening match against the Netherlands.

Head coach Hajime Moriyasu replaced Endo by selecting forward Shuto Machino (Borussia Mönchengladbach) as his substitute. The captain's armband, now without its owner, was taken over by defender Ko Itakura (Ajax). Itakura expressed his sorrowful feelings, stating, "The fall of the excellent captain who led the team since the Qatar World Cup is a significant loss in terms of team strength. He must be the most disappointed and upset."

After steadfastly supporting the backbone of "Samurai Japan" for the past 11 years and playing 73 A-match games, the veteran Endo calmly bid farewell via social media (SNS).

Endo stated, "I have done everything possible since the injury, so I have no regrets," and added, "I am proud to have led the team to a point where we can naturally speak of the goal of 'winning the World Cup' as captain since the Qatar World Cup."

He continued, "I will now retire from the national team and support Japan as a fan. The moment when our Japan, which can overcome any adversity, wins the World Cup will surely come," urging continued support for the national team.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.