Premier League stars shine as Japan secures 2026 World Cup spot | OneFootball

A trio of Japanese Premier League stars has officially secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On Thursday, Japan defeated Bahrain 2-0 at Saitama Stadium, confirming their qualification. Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo scored the goals to seal the victory.

Alongside Kamada, Japan’s Premier League representation included Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma. Endo and Mitoma started the match, while Kamada made an impact off the bench.

Japan becomes first AFC team to qualify

With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has nine potential spots. Six teams will qualify directly from the third round of qualification. Japan has now become the first team from Asia to secure a place at the tournament in North America.

Player performances

Wataru Endo anchored Japan’s midfield, playing the full 90 minutes as a defensive midfielder. The 32-year-old had the best passing accuracy among all players who played at least a full half, completing 69 of his 73 passes (95%). He also won six duels, highlighting his presence in midfield.

Kaoru Mitoma had a challenging outing, struggling to make an impact. The Brighton winger lost nine duels, three more than any other player, and managed just one successful dribble and one shot. Despite registering 10 goal contributions in the Premier League this season, he was limited to a single pass into the final third.

Daichi Kamada made the most of his 27-minute cameo, scoring a goal and completing 23 of his 24 passes (96%). The Crystal Palace midfielder also delivered five forward passes and maintained a 100% success rate in his crosses.

Japan’s World Cup history

The 2026 edition will mark Japan’s eighth appearance in the FIFA World Cup. Their best performances to date have been reaching the Round of 16, which they have achieved four times. The Samurai Blues will be hoping to go at least one better in the next year's event.