*This content was translated by AI.
Despite Japan's failure to advance past the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, the Japan Football Association appears set to prepare for the next World Cup once again with a Japanese head coach.
Tokyo Sports reported on the 30th that "it is widely believed that a Japanese coach is the most likely candidate for the next Japan national team manager," adding that "in addition to retaining current manager Hajime Moriyasu (58), several other Japanese coaches are being considered as candidates."
The media further quoted sources stating, "While the Japan Football Association's Technical Committee plans to review the next head coach from a broad perspective, given the high evaluation of Manager Moriyasu's leadership and achievements, a Japanese coach capable of communicating in the national language is expected to be the top priority for the successor."
The Japan national football team operated under foreign coaches—including Alberto Zaccheroni (Italy), Javier Aguirre (Mexico), and Vahid Halilhodžić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)—after coach Takeshi Okada stepped down in 2010, before transitioning to Akira Nishino and then to the Moriyasu era in 2018, which has now continued for eight years.
Manager Moriyasu earned recognition for his leadership by leading Japan through the group stage in both the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the current 2026 North American World Cup. During this period, the team was praised for developing to a level where it could compete evenly with world-class powerhouse teams.
Tokyo Sports explained, "Given that Japan achieved back-to-back group stage qualifications including the Qatar World Cup and that player trust in Manager Moriyasu is high, the option of retaining him is also under review." If Manager Moriyasu continues to lead the Japan national team through the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, he would have commanded the team for a remarkable 12 years.
In addition to Manager Moriyasu, the media highlighted Kō Oiwata (54), manager of the Japan U-21 national team, and Kenta Hasegawa (61), former Nagoya Grampus coach, as strong candidates. Ang Postecoglou (61, Australia), who previously led the Australia national team and Yokohama F. Marinos, was also mentioned, though it was reported that his salary increased significantly during his recent tenure as manager of Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League (EPL), making his appointment realistically difficult.
The media added, "The Japan Football Association's Technical Committee plans to comprehensively review the results of the recent North American World Cup matches before appointing the next national team manager, and attention will focus on the outcome of future selections, including the possibility of retaining Manager Moriyasu."
Meanwhile, in South Korea, Hong Myung-bo's major failure in the current North American World Cup has made the appointment of a domestic head coach virtually impossible for the foreseeable future. The Korea Football Association had initially announced plans to appoint a foreign coach to succeed Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany) but unexpectedly selected Hong Myung-bo, leading to a disastrous outcome. Even if a domestic coach is mentioned again as a candidate in the process of appointing the next head coach, fierce controversy is now inevitable.
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*This content was translated by AI.
