Japan Coach Says Day Will Come When National Team Wins World Cup

Jul 08, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Japan national soccer team coach Hajime Moriyasu, captain Ko Itakura of Ajax, Daizen Maeda of Celtic, Yukinari Sugawara of Bremen and Japan Football Association President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto visited Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Yohei Matsumoto on July 8 following Japan's campaign at the FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Moriyasu and the players briefed Matsumoto on the national team's performance in the tournament and expressed their determination to continue building toward Japan's long-held goal of winning the World Cup.

Moriyasu told the minister that he believes the day will come when Japan can become the best team in the world, signaling confidence that the national side can keep narrowing the gap with leading soccer nations.

Itakura, who served as captain, joined Maeda and Sugawara at the meeting, while Miyamoto represented the Japan Football Association. The visit underscored the role of the national team as a symbol of Japan's sporting ambitions following its appearance on soccer's biggest stage.

Source: Kyodo

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