Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, Takefusa Kubo believes that the Japan national team had already realised between March and June 2024 that they had become a much stronger side.

It has long been clear to the Samurai Blue that they would emerge as one of the strongest teams in the 2026 World Cup.

Historically, Japan have never advanced beyond the Round of 16 at the World Cup.

However, in this edition, the Samurai Blue appear ready to break that record.

Under the guidance of Hajime Moriyasu, Japan enter the 2026 World Cup in top condition.

Although they were eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup, they gained invaluable experience by defeating two former world champions — Germany and Spain.

Following that tournament, Japan continued to impress by securing victories over two more world champions, Brazil and England, in friendly matches.

In the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, Japan’s performance has been nothing short of dominant.

They became the first nation to secure qualification through the qualifying rounds.

Captain Wataru Endo and his teammates arrive at the tournament on the back of six consecutive wins, including five straight clean sheets in their last five matches.

The most intimidating aspect of Japan’s campaign is the players’ own belief that they have evolved into a truly powerful team.

This sentiment was echoed by one of their key stars, Takefusa Kubo.

The Real Sociedad midfielder revealed that this awareness grew during the qualification journey.

“It was around the fourth or fifth match of the Asian Qualifiers,” Kubo said in an interview with FIFA’s official website.

Japan began their second-round campaign in the Asian Zone of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, grouped with North Korea, Syria, and Myanmar in Group B.

The fourth and fifth matches Kubo referred to took place on 26 March 2024 and 6 June 2024, respectively.

During that period, Japan won every match convincingly.

In the fourth match, they were awarded a 3–0 walkover victory against North Korea, who refused to play.

In the fifth match, Japan crushed Myanmar 5–0.

“At that point, we were already leading the group by about six points,” Kubo continued.

“I went home knowing just how good we were.”

“I felt that our confidence was growing.”

“It wasn’t just about the results, but also about how we played and how cohesive we had become as a team.”

Kubo further explained that Japan had learned valuable lessons from the 2022 World Cup, where they were knocked out by Croatia after a penalty shootout.

“Whether it was our intensity during the match or small details that weren’t executed properly, we realised that the team back then was still missing something.”

“History records that we lost on penalties, but I believe there were many things we could have done better during the 120 minutes before that shootout.”

“At the World Cup, matches are decided by very fine margins.”

“I think it’s crucial to perfect every aspect of the game as much as possible.”

“We adjust our tactical approach depending on the opponent,” he said.

“However, mentally, we approach every match the same way.”

“Naturally, we always respect our opponents, but at the same time, this team firmly believes that we are fully capable of winning,” concluded Takefusa Kubo.