Ritsu Doan Leads Japan Into Netherlands Test With Quarter-Final Ambition
ritsu doan and Japan head into Sunday night’s 2026 World Cup opener against the Netherlands unbeaten in their past nine matches against European opposition. That run has sharpened expectations around a squad that is already carrying its biggest target into Group F: a first quarter-final.
Japan and the Netherlands
Japan will kick off against the Netherlands at 21:00 BST in its first Group F match, with Sweden and Tunisia also in the section. The 26-man squad includes Daichi Kamada of Crystal Palace and Ao Tanaka of Leeds United, while Maya Yoshida has travelled as a non-playing support player.
Yoshida was direct about the standard Japan is chasing. “For me, reaching the quarter-finals - a stage we've never reached or even experienced before - is the main goal,” he said. “Anything beyond that would be a bonus.”
Moriyasu's World Cup target
That ambition matches the tone set by Hajime Moriyasu earlier this year, when the 57-year-old said, “My goal is for the team to be one of the best of the best.” He added, “We have raised our level little by little through our national team activity.”
Japan earned its place at the finals after becoming the first non-host nation to secure qualification for this summer’s tournament through an almost perfect campaign. The tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams, but Japan’s recent record against European sides gives it something more concrete than numbers alone.
Japan's European record
At the last World Cup, Japan beat Germany and Spain in the group stage, then drew 1-1 with Croatia in the round of 16 before going out on penalties. The pattern has continued since then: Japan are unbeaten in their past nine matches against European opposition.
That is the form line carrying Japan into a group that mixes styles and demands immediate precision. The Netherlands arrive first, and the result will help show whether Japan’s next step is another run to the last 16 or something the program has never reached before.
