This is not a comic story. The Japanese national football team players aim for world domination.
The Japanese team will face Bahrain on the 20th in the '2026 North and Central America World Cup Asia 3rd Qualifying Round 7th Match' held at Saitama Stadium in Japan. After that, Japan will meet Saudi Arabia at the same venue on the 25th.
If Japan defeats Bahrain, they will be the first to secure a place in the North and Central America World Cup. If Japan wins, they will set a record for the fewest matches qualifying for the finals and the unprecedented achievement of reaching the finals for the 8th consecutive time.
Currently, Japan has 5 wins and 1 draw (16 points) in Group C. They boast an overwhelming performance with 22 goals scored and 2 conceded. Japan is 9 points ahead of second-placed Australia (7 points), making their qualification for the finals nearly certain.
The Japanese national team completed final training on the 19th. The majority of the Japanese players, mostly from overseas, were overflowing with confidence. Among them, a bold interview by Ritsu Doan (27, Freiburg), who plays in the German Bundesliga, has become a topic of discussion.
Doan said, "We are a team that can win the World Cup. Right now, it is not strange at all for our team to make such a statement. Not just me, but other players also feel the same way," making a surprising remark.
Japan created a major upset by defeating Germany (2-1) and Spain (2-1) at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Most of the national players play in the Bundesliga, La Liga, and Premier League, so they had no sense of rejection or fear in facing world-class strong teams.
Japan is currently on an unbeaten streak with 9 wins and 1 draw in their last 10 international matches. Japan's last defeat was a 1-2 loss to Iran in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Asian Cup on March 2nd, 2024.
Doan confessed that the overseas advancement of senior players such as Keisuke Honda, who played for AC Milan, has greatly inspired the juniors. Doan said, "The spirit of great seniors like Honda is being passed down to the juniors. Thanks to the senior players abroad, the Japanese market has grown. Even during Honda's time, I thought winning the World Cup was unrealistic. However, now our players think winning the World Cup is realistic," showing immense confidence.
Despite Doan's boldness, Japan's highest achievement in World Cup history has been reaching the Round of 16 in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022. South Korea achieved a myth of reaching the semifinals in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
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