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 🇯🇵
Zlatan Ibrahimović on Japan's dominant 4-0 victory over Tunisia at the World Cup:
🗣️ “People need to stop calling Japan a surprise package. At some point, when you keep producing performances like this, you're no longer a surprise you're a serious contender.”
“A 4-0 win at the World Cup is not normal. You don't destroy teams by accident. You do it because you have quality, organization, confidence, and players who know exactly what they're doing.”
“What impresses me most is the way they play. There is no fear, no hesitation, no respect for reputations. They attack with intensity, defend as a unit, and make life miserable for every opponent.”
“Before the tournament started, everyone was talking about the traditional favourites. But match after match, Japan are quietly forcing their way into that conversation.”
“If I'm one of the big nations watching this performance, I'm worried. Very worried. Because Japan look like a team that is improving with every game they play.”
“The scary thing is that they don't look satisfied. Even at 3-0, even at 4-0, they keep pressing, keep running, and keep searching for more. That's the mentality of a team that believes it can achieve something special.”
“You can have all the star players in the world, but if you come up against a team playing with this level of discipline and confidence, you're going to suffer.”
“Right now, Japan are slowly becoming one of the favourites to win this World Cup. Some people won't like hearing that, but football doesn't care about reputations it cares about performances.”
“And trust me, any team that gets drawn against Japan in the next round won't be celebrating. They'll be wondering how they're supposed to stop them.”
Virgil van Dijk on Wataru Endō after Japan’s 2-2 draw with the Netherlands national football team:
🗣️ “I have to say, that moment with Endō’s shirt left on the bench… it was emotional. Even as an opponent, you could feel the weight of it.
To hear he withdrew from the squad due to injury and then announced his retirement on the eve of the World Cup that’s heartbreaking. No player deserves that. Not after all the years of sacrifice and discipline it takes to reach this stage.
When you step out on that pitch and you know a teammate like that should have been there, it changes something in the atmosphere. You feel it in the dressing room, you feel it during the match, and you definitely feel it after the final whistle.
What Japan did tonight by keeping his jersey with them wasn’t just respect—it was love. It showed how much he means to that group, not just as a player but as a leader.
As a footballer, you understand how fragile these moments are. One injury, one twist of fate, and a dream can disappear right before your eyes. That’s the cruel side of this game people don’t always see.
So when I saw that shirt on the bench, I didn’t see a symbol of absence. I saw a reminder of what they’re fighting for.
And honestly, teams that carry that kind of emotion with them… they become very dangerous. Very united. Very hard to break down.
Tonight wasn’t just about a 2-2 draw. It was about a team playing with someone in their hearts who couldn’t be on the pitch with them.”