By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Thursday and two Asian countries have a big opportunity to shock the soccer world. The “Reds” and the “Samurai Blue” are real contenders to make it out of the Group Stage and win the World Cup.
The perennial favorites are Brazil, Portugal, England, Spain, and France, as well as the 2022 World Cup winners Argentina. But could South Korea or Japan make an appearance at the finals at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey?
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Japan drew into the “Group of Death,” named for being in a division with powerhouse Spain and Germany. However, Japan beat both Germany and Spain and topped the group advancing to the knockout stage.
However, Japan fell in the round of 16, losing on penalty kicks to an experienced team from Croatia. Since that loss in 2022, the national team has only lost three times in 41 matches.
In 2026, Japan’s performance in 2022 has given it a better draw as it is in Group F with Sweden, the Netherlands, and Tunisia. If Japan survives, it is projected to meet Brazil. It has never made it past the final 16.
Japan will play its group games in the southwest. Its first game will be at Dallas Stadium (aka AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, Texas against the Netherlands on Sunday, June 14. It will then play Tunisia on Saturday, June 20 at Estadio Monterrey (aka Estadio BBVA) in Guadalupe, Mexico. It will then return to Arlington to play Sweden on Thursday, June 25.
Coach Hajim Moriyase is the catalyst for the national team. Since he was appointed to manage Team Japan in July 2018, Moriyasu helped score the upsets in the 2022 World Cup. Moriyase led the team to victory over powerhouse England this past spring in a friendly getting ready for this summer.
Look for “The Japanese Messi,” Takefuso Kubo, to lead the charge for the “Samurai Blue.” The midfielder is known for his creativity and goal-scoring prowess. Ayesa Ueda also returns for the national team from his stint on the 2022 World Cup team. The 27-year-old striker looks to build off of his recent play this summer. Daichi Kamada, a starter for the Premier League’s Crystal Palace club, brings top-level expertise to the team. The midfielder has shown a propensity to score goals. Finally, the team’s captain, Waturo Endoo, will provide the defensive punch for his teammates to work on the offense.
The Japanese fans, always being respectful, were admired for their manners in 2022 as they cleaned up garbage after every match before they left the stadium.
The “Reds” are led by current LAFC star Son Heung-min. Song, the former Premier League star and Tottenham Hotspur, will look to lead South Korea out of Group A, which includes host country Mexico, South Africa, and Czechia.
South Korea has participated in the most World Cups (12) of any other Asian country.They finished fourth in the World Cup in 2002 in their own country.
In 2022, South Korea qualified for the round of 16. They went on to lose to Brazil in the knockout round, 4-1.
South Korea did beat the United States in an international friendly this past September but also lost a match 5-0 to Brazil the following month.
It will play all of its matches in Mexico. On June 11, it will play Czechia at Guadalajara Stadium. On June 18, it plays Mexico at the same venue. On June 24, it will play South Africa at Monterrey Stadium.
In addition to Son, South Korea will look to Kim Min-Jae to lead the squad. Kim is a defender for Bayern Munich, the reigning Bundesliga Champions in Germany. Another breakout star could be 25-year-old striker Oh Hyeon-gu, who plays for Besiktas in the Turkish highest professional soccer league.
The “Reds” have been caught up in some turmoil as there has been rumblings about infighting with players and the coach. Head coach Hong Myung-bo’s appointment following the departure of Jurgen Klinsmann was highly contentious. South Korean followers note fan backlash and disapproval of the coaching change. Also, the team has changed its attacking philosophy with a more conservative style, providing an additional defender on the back line instead of being more aggressive.
In addition to South Korea and Japan, the other countries that will be a part of the World Cup coming from the Asian region as defined by FIFA are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Qatar, Jordan, and Uzbekistan. These countries are part of the Asian Football Confederation to determine countries that would make it to the FIFA World Cup.
Jason can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.