The Japan National Football Team represents Japan in international men’s football competitions and is affiliated with the Japan Football Association, with its home games mostly held at Saitama Stadium 2002. The Japan Football Association was founded in 1921 and joined FIFA in 1929. In 1954, the Japan Football Association became a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Since the 1990s, Japan’s football standards have advanced by leaps and bounds. In 1992, Japan won its first AFC Asian Cup title in team history.
Team History
At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Japan qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time. In the group stage, Japan lost 0-1 to Argentina, 0-1 to Croatia, and 1-2 to Jamaica, being eliminated after three consecutive defeats. In 2000, Japan won the AFC Asian Cup for the second time. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, as hosts, Japan finished top of their group with two wins and one draw in the group stage, advancing to the round of 16 for the first time in history. In the round of 16, Japan was eliminated by Turkey.
In 2004, Japan successfully defended their AFC Asian Cup title. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Japan was eliminated in the group stage. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Japan reached the round of 16. At the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, Japan won the Asian title for the fourth time. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Japan finished second in their group to advance to the round of 16 but lost to Belgium in the round of 16, missing out on the quarter-finals.
Nowadays
On December 5, 2022, in the round of 16 of the Qatar World Cup, Japan drew 1-1 with Croatia after 120 minutes but lost 2-4 on penalties. On February 3, 2024, in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup, Japan lost 1-2 to Iran, failing to reach the semi-finals.
In March 2025, Japan defeated Bahrain to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico three rounds in advance, becoming the first team globally (excluding hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico) to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. This also broke their own record as the fastest Asian team to qualify for the World Cup, previously set by qualifying two rounds in advance during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.
