Kaoru Mitoma Dropped from Japan's Final World Cup Squad

TOKYO, FRIDAY - A difficult decision had to be made by Japan National Team Coach, Hajime Moriyasu, when selecting his 26 chosen players for the 2026 World Cup. He was forced to exclude key player Kaoru Mitoma due to injury. Nevertheless, Moriyasu is attempting to add experience to his team by calling up several veterans.

After some doubts, the certainty of Mitoma's participation in the World Cup was finally decided on Friday (15/5/2026). With less than a month remaining until the World Cup, it is considered difficult for Mitoma to make up for the time needed to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained while playing for Brighton and Hove Albion against Wolves in the continuation of the English League.

"After the injury sustained by Mitoma, we received a medical report stating that it would be difficult for him to return to play during the tournament. Based on that report, we gave up on selecting him. Deciding how to adjust the squad after that was my final major consideration," said Moriyasu at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan.

The loss of Mitoma is a significant blow for Japan. The left winger is undeniably the best footballer in Japan at the moment. Moriyasu heavily relies on his experience, which has been honed through the intense competition of the English League.

There are still many players with the ability to compete and win on the world stage for Japan. So, to be honest, I feel regretful for not being able to select them.

At the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Mitoma provided one assist in Japan's 2-1 victory over Spain. Mitoma also has a reputation as one of the players with excellent dribbling skills and the ability to get past opponents.

Nevertheless, Moriyasu is grateful that Japan has many quality players. Without Mitoma, Moriyasu admitted to having difficulty selecting 26 players from the abundance of available talent. The competition to enter the Japanese national team is also very competitive.

Due to the abundance of options, Moriyasu made a bold decision by not calling up Hidemasa Morita, who is currently in top form with Sporting CP. Morita, who plays as a midfielder, faced tough competition from Ayumu Seko, Ao Tanaka, and Kaishu Sano.

"There are still many players with the ability to compete and win on the world stage for Japan. So, to be honest, I feel regretful for not being able to select them. However, I believe I have chosen the 26 best players for Japan to win on the current world stage," he stated.

Moriyasu is very aware that players with substantial experience are essential to elevate the team's performance in a tournament of the caliber of the World Cup. This quadrennial event is so sacred that even an experienced player can make mistakes here.

Therefore, Moriyasu tends to be cautious and meticulous in selecting his players. He sets high standards in determining the team members. Of the 26 players called up, only three compete in the Japanese League. Players who play in Europe are given top priority due to their experience in facing intense competition.

That calculated step was taken by Moriyasu, who is ambitious to surpass Japan's achievements in the 2022 World Cup. At that time, Japan could only advance to the round of 16 after losing to Croatia.

Without Mitoma, who is considered a potential game-changer, Moriyasu had to think creatively to inject experience into his team. As a result, he called up several veteran names such as Yuto Nagatomo, Wataru Endo, and Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The call-up of Nagatomo and Tomiyasu is quite interesting. Nagatomo has now broken the record as the Japanese footballer who has appeared in five different editions of the World Cup. He is a veteran who has represented Japan since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Although he is currently 39 years old and plays in the domestic league with FC Tokyo, Nagatomo is still needed due to his extensive experience in world-class competition.

The call-up of Tomiyasu is quite surprising as he has been absent for two years from the national team. The former Arsenal defender last represented Japan in 2024 during a match against Syria.

After ending his contract by mutual agreement with Arsenal, Tomiyasu continued his career by strengthening the Dutch giant, Ajax Amsterdam. However, injuries have once again plagued Tomiyasu, limiting him to only seven appearances throughout this season.

"Although he has not appeared in recent official matches due to tactical reasons, our medical staff has confirmed that there are no issues with his condition," said Moriyasu.

Moriyasu intends to use the friendly match against Iceland on May 31 as a means for players like Tomiyasu to improve their condition ahead of the World Cup.

In the upcoming World Cup, Japan is placed in Group F. The "Blue Samurai" will begin their eighth appearance in the main stage of the World Cup against the Netherlands in Dallas, United States on June 14, local time.

After that, Japan is scheduled to face Tunisia on June 20 and Sweden on June 25. (REUTERS)

Japan Squad

Goalkeepers: Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Zion Suzuki (Parma) 

Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden), Ko Itakura (Ajax), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen), Junnosuke Suzuki (Copenhagen) 

Midfielders/Strikers: Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Junya Ito (Genk), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Koki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Ao Tanaka (Leeds), Keito Nakamura (Reims), Kaishu Sano (Mainz), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg), Kento Shiogai (Wolfsburg), Keisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden)