Japanese Team Announces Exclusion of Wataru Endo from the World Cup

The Japanese national team suffered a major blow before starting their campaign in the 2026 World Cup held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, following the confirmed absence of their captain Wataru Endo from the tournament due to injury.

The coaching staff of the Japanese national team decided to call up Shuto Machino to compensate for Endo's absence, in an attempt to maintain the team's balance and prepare in the best possible way before the start of the global journey.

The Japan national team is competing in the World Cup within Group F, which includes the teams of the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia. In this group, the team aims to achieve positive results.

The Japanese national team will kick off its tournament campaign against the Polish national team on Sunday, June 14, amid high expectations from Japanese fans to continue their strong presence on the global stage.