Brighton & Hove Albion’s star winger, Kaoru Mitoma, is back in the Japan national team as they gear up for the crucial third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Japanese team, aiming for their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, will face China at home on September 5th and Bahrain away five days later to kick off their qualifying campaign. Mitoma, who has been a standout performer for Brighton, missed the Asian Cup in January due to injury but has started the new season in impressive form, scoring one goal and assisting another in Brighton’s perfect start to the Premier League.
Japan’s head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, is focused on a strong start to the qualifying process. “These will be tough games, but we have to go into them with a winning mindset and prepare well for each one,” Moriyasu stated. “We want to maximize our potential and give everything in these games.”
The road to the World Cup will be challenging for Japan as they have been drawn in a tough Group C alongside Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. The top two teams from the group will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to a further round of qualifiers.
Joining Mitoma in the squad are three other Premier League players: Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, and Southampton’s Yukinari Sugawara. The squad also features a notable return in the form of Reims winger Junya Ito. Ito has not played for Japan since the Asian Cup after a Japanese magazine published allegations of sexual assault against him. While Japanese prosecutors dropped charges against him earlier this month, and Ito has denied any wrongdoing, the incident sparked controversy. Moriyasu, who previously said he had not called up Ito to “protect” him, has now decided to bring him back into the team. “The player and the team have to be able to work in an environment where they can focus on their football, and up until now I doubted that would be the case,” Moriyasu explained.
Adding to the coaching staff is former captain Makoto Hasebe, who has joined the team as a coach for the games against China and Bahrain. Hasebe retired from playing at the age of 40 at the end of last season and currently serves as a coach for the under-21 team at German club Eintracht Frankfurt.
With a mix of experienced players and exciting new talent, Japan’s journey to the 2026 World Cup promises to be an intriguing and challenging one.
