On Friday 24 May, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) head coach MORIYASU Hajime announced his 26-man squad for the two matches in June's FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2. Japan, who have already booked their place in the third round, will play Myanmar away on Thursday 6 June before hosting Syria in Hiroshima on Tuesday 11 June.

Japan, competing in Group B in the second round of the Asian qualifiers, have won all four of their matches so far to secure a top-two finish in their group and a place in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. With DPR Korea having forfeited their home match against Japan in March, these two matches will be Japan's last official fixtures before the third round begins in September and will be a valuable opportunity to build up the team's strength ahead of a series of tough matches in the third round.

On the day, coach Moriyasu said: “Although we have already made it through the second round, we want to finish on a high to give ourselves a positive boost for the final round, which starts in September.”

26 players have been called up for the two-match series, including five who are returning to the side after missing out on recent call-ups.

KAMADA Daichi (SS Lazio) returns for the first time since the first leg against Myanmar and Syria last November, while TOMIYASU Takehiro (Arsenal) and HATATE Reo (Celtic FC) are back for the first time since AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 at the start of the year and TANI Kosei, who plays in goal for J1 leaders FC Machida Zelvia, returns for the first time since March last year.

Also, 22-year-old SUZUKI Yuito (Brondby IF), who played in the Danish league this season, will be seeking to earn his first cap for the national team, after being selected for the first time in almost two years and five months since his first ever call-up in January 2022 when he was with Shimizu S-Pulse.

NAGATOMO Yuto (FC Tokyo), who returned to the squad in March for the first time in a year and four months since the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, is back in the squad alongside other returning players such as OGAWA Koki (NEC Nijmegen) and KAWAMURA Takumu (Sanfrecce Hiroshima). Familiar faces such as ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC), MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco) and DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) will also be part of the squad for the two-game series.

Coach Moriyasu said: “We want to use these two matches to try out the players and the system and improve our overall tactical understanding ahead of the final round.”

After four second-round matches, Japan top Group B with 12 points, while Syria are second with seven points from two wins, a draw and a defeat, DPR Korea third with three points from a win and three defeats and Myanmar fourth with one point from a draw and three defeats.

The team will train in Chiba on Monday 3 June before travelling to Yangon, where they will hold a training camp from 4 June in preparation for the match against Myanmar.

The Myanmar match is scheduled to kick off at 18:40 local time (21:10 Japan time) on Thursday 6 June at Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, while the Syria match is scheduled to kick off at 19:10 on Tuesday 11 June at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima.

The FIFA World Cup™ will increase its field from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2026, with the number of Asian slots also increasing from 4.5 to 8.5. The top two finishers from each group in the second round of Asian qualifying will progress to the third round, where 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six and play a home-and-away round-robin format, with the top two from each group qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26™. The third and fourth placed teams will play in the play-offs, where the six teams will be divided into two groups of three, with the winner of each group qualifying for the World Cup. There will be a play-off between the runners-up in each group, with the winners progressing to the FIFA Play-off Tournament.

Comment

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
Although we have already made it through the second round, we want to finish on a high to give ourselves a positive boost for the final round, which starts in September. We want to use these two matches to try out the players and the system and improve our overall tactical understanding ahead of the final round. We'll be looking at a lot of players and trying to confirm and build on what we've been doing as a team. We will take on new challenges and try to expand our tactics over the two games.
Suzuki Yuito has developed the ability to show his strength in international competitions and we hope he can do for the national team what he does for Brondby, such as initiating attacks and contributing to the goals. We want him to play an attacking role. Kamada has shown the ability to lead his team to victory at his club, creating the team's rhythm offensively and defensively and contributing to the team's scoring. Tani has been the backbone of Machida's breakthrough and has contributed to their victories. Regarding ITO Junya, we have been monitoring his performance at Stade de Reims and we are fully aware of what he brings to the table, but the situation is the same as it was in March, so we have decided not to bring him in because of the pressure he might be under playing for the national team and the impact it might have on the people he is close to.
I am very happy that we will be able to host a national team match at the new stadium in Hiroshima. I am looking forward to playing in a great atmosphere where fans and players can create an exciting space with a sense of unity, and I believe that we can offer more than just football at the games in Hiroshima. In the midst of wars and conflicts around the world, peace is what allows us to play sport and leads to a peaceful life. If the Peace Memorial Park provides an opportunity for fans from all over Japan and Asia to reflect on the sad and tragic history of the past, it makes this national team activity all the more meaningful.

YAMAMOTO Masakuni, JFA National Team Director
With the national team's limited schedule, these two games are crucial for the team ahead of the final round, which starts in September. If we want to be successful at the FIFA World Cup 26™, we have to work backwards from the tournament final and make the most of these two matches to get there.
It goes without saying that SAMURAI BLUE's activities are our top priority. As this team prepares for the final round of the Asian qualifiers, we have called up Suzuki Yuito because he is a very capable player. In the case of both Suzuki and Kubo, we have been in constant, long and careful communication with the clubs regarding their activities with the U-23 national team, and the clubs have come to the conclusion that they cannot be called up outside of the international window set by FIFA.
JFA staff have already visited Myanmar in advance of the trip to check on various issues and to set up a support system involving local officials and the embassy. As we head into the final round, we have to deal with the travel and preparation required to compete in Asia. With so many players coming from Europe, we also have to deal with the time difference and the climate. The work we put in to prepare for these difficulties off the pitch will also need to improve if we are to reach the top of the world.

JFA OFFICIAL
TOP PARTNER

JFA OFFICIAL
SUPPLIER

JFA MAJOR PARTNER

JFA NATIONAL TEAM PARTNER