By Our Correspondent

National News – Japan’s hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the first time have suffered a major setback after injured winger Kaoru Mitoma was left out of the national squad for the 2026 tournament.

The 28-year-old Brighton star sustained a hamstring injury during Brighton’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Wolves last weekend, ruling him out of the competition.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu confirmed on Friday in Tokyo that the medical team advised against including Mitoma because he would not recover in time for the tournament.

The exclusion is viewed as a huge blow because Mitoma has been one of Japan’s most influential attacking players in recent years.

The winger played a decisive role in Japan’s memorable victories over Germany and Spain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

He also scored the winning goal in Japan’s 1-0 friendly triumph over England at Wembley Stadium in March 2026.

Another notable absentee is Takumi Minamino, who missed selection after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while playing for Monaco in December.

Despite injury concerns, defender Takehiro Tomiyasu earned a place in the squad even though he has not represented Japan since June 2024.

Japan have been drawn in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia.

Their opening World Cup fixture will be against the Dutch in Arlington, Texas, on June 14.

Key players selected for the tournament include Wataru Endo, Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo.

Rising striker Kento Shiogai also made the final squad after impressing in recent international matches.