Mitoma fails to make Japan’s 2026 World Cup squad due to hamstring injury

Injured Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma has been left out of Japan’s World Cup squad in a major blow to their chances of progressing beyond the last 16 for the first time.

The 28-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton’s 3-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League last weekend.

“The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament,” coach Hajime Moriyasu said in naming his squad in Tokyo on Friday.

Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also missed out after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in late December.

Japan have been drawn with the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia in Group F, and they start their campaign against the Dutch in Arlington, Texas on June 14.

Mitoma, who has scored nine goals, is one of Japan’s best players and scored the winner in their 1-0 friendly victory over England at Wembley in March.

He also played a key role in his country’s shock wins over Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Japan eventually lost on penalties to Croatia in the last 16.

Ajax defender Takehiro Tomiyasu made the 26-man squad, despite not playing for the Samurai Blue for almost two years due to a series ⁠of injuries.

The central defender, who currently plays for Ajax after his contract with Arsenal was annulled by mutual consent last year, last played for Japan in a World Cup qualifier against Syria on June 11, 2024. He had been included in the ‌squad for the March international window before withdrawing.

Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo and 39-year-old FC Tokyo full-back Yuto Nagatomo were all included.

Wolfsburg’s Kento Shiogai, who won his first cap in Japan’s 1-0 win over Scotland in Glasgow in March, also made the cut.

Moriyasu will be leading the team into his second World Cup as coach.

Japan are scheduled to play their final pre-World ⁠Cup friendly against Iceland on May 31. They will then ⁠travel to the team’s base ⁠camp in Nashville, Tennessee, where Japan will train at the Nashville SC Training Center.

Their opening game against the Netherlands will be followed by matches against ‌Tunisia ‌in Monterrey, Mexico on June 20 and Sweden back in Arlington on June 25.

Japan squad for World Cup 2026:

Goalkeepers: Zion Suzuki, Keisuke Osako, Tomoki Hayakawa.

Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki.

Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Ritsu Doan, Ao Tanaka, Kaishu Sano, Takefusa Kubo, Yuito Suzuki.

Forwards: Daizen Maeda, Koki Ogawa, Ayase Ueda, Keito Nakamura, Kento Shiogai, Keisuke Goto.