Japan target first World Cup quarter-final in 2026

Japan enter World Cup 2026 aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history. The Samurai Blue have built steadily under Hajime Moriyasu, and expectations back home are higher than ever. Ritsu Dōan leads a squad that knows it must navigate a group likely featuring Germany, Spain, Australia, or Saudi Arabia – no easy path, but the target is clear. For a nation that has consistently reached the knockout rounds, the next step is the one that matters: breaking into the last eight.