Millions of football fans have never seen a FIFA World Cup that didn’t feature Japan.
They may be mainstays of modern World Cup history, but the Blue Samurai didn’t make their debut until they made their bow in 1998 and they loved it so much they’ve not missed a tournament since!
Having gotten their first taste (and goal) in France, they fully embraced World Cup fever in 2002, co-hosting with Korea Republic, and this was when they really hit their stride. Wins over Russia and Tunisia propelled them into the knockout stages for the first time, narrowly losing out to Turkey.
Since then, they’ve come agonisingly close to making the quarter-finals. Penalty defeats to Paraguay in 2010 and Croatia in 2022 were heart-breaking ways to miss out on a first taste of the last eight.
Not to mention Belgium’s dramatic 3-2 win in 2018, wiping out Japan’s 2-0 lead in an astonishing comeback during the closing 20 minutes.
But Qatar 2022 left plenty of reasons to feel optimistic looking forward. Unforgettable wins over Germany and Spain saw the Blue Samurai light up the group stages and run a bronze-medal winning Croatia side incredibly close.
Following that, and the likes of rising stars Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan and Ayase Ueda impressing, it shows that history could be waiting for them in 2026!