🚨 Pep Guardiola on Japan being eliminated from the FIFA World Cup after their defeat to Brazil:
🗣️ “Sometimes football gives you a result that doesn’t reflect the quality of the performance. Japan leave this World Cup, but they leave with enormous respect. They played with courage, discipline and incredible organisation against one of the greatest teams in football history. That deserves recognition.”
“I feel for the players because I know how painful nights like this can be. You invest months, even years, preparing for moments like these, and then everything is decided by a few details. The dressing room will be silent tonight, but they should never confuse disappointment with failure. They made an entire nation believe.”
“Brazil have qualified, and they deserve credit for finding a way to win. But Japan showed the football world that success isn’t only measured by trophies. They defended with intelligence, attacked with bravery and competed until the very last moment. This team has inspired a generation of young footballers across Japan.”
“Football has a strange way of rewarding those who keep believing. Tonight ends with heartbreak, but I have no doubt this Japanese team will come back stronger. The foundation is there, the mentality is there, and if they continue on this path, their biggest moments are still ahead of them.”
{@DailyMail }
Japan leaves this World Cup with its head held high. 🇯🇵 Against Brazil, the difference wasn’t talent or organization, it was squad depth.
In the second half, Japan no longer had the resources to sustain the same attacking pressure. A proud exit that highlights how far this team has come, while also showing the final step still needed to compete with the very best.
Ganbare Nippon 🇯🇵