Japan midfielder Kaishu Sano offered a brutally honest reflection following his team’s elimination from the World Cup, stressing that strong performances mean little without results. Despite pushing Brazil to the brink in a thrilling knockout tie, Hajime Moriyasu’s men saw their 2026 World Cup campaign come to a heartbreaking conclusion.

Heartbreak in stoppage time for Japan

Japan looked poised to pull off a famous upset before Gabriel Martinelli struck a stoppage-time winner to clinch victory for the Selecao. The loss was particularly painful for the Asian side, who had earlier taken the lead and appeared in control for long stretches of the contest.

The opener came courtesy of Sano, whose composed finish in the first half temporarily put Japan ahead. Yet Brazil’s wealth of experience eventually made the difference, as Casemiro levelled the score before Martinelli’s dramatic winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time sealed Japan’s fate.

Sano’s candid post-match remarks

Speaking after the final whistle, a visibly dejected Sano did not hold back his emotions. “I think results are everything, and I’m really disappointed because this team shouldn’t have ended like this. But to be beaten like that at the very end makes me feel like we’re not good enough, but what we’ve been doing isn’t wrong. I think we can be proud of what we’ve built up,” the midfielder said.

This tournament marked Japan’s eighth World Cup appearance. Their journey included a solid group-stage display — highlighted by a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands and a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia — but it ultimately wasn’t enough to overcome Brazil’s pedigree. Consequently, Japan missed out on matching their best-ever World Cup finish of reaching the round of 16, a feat previously achieved in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022.

Itakura leads in Endo’s absence

Defender Ko Itakura, who took on the captain’s role after regular skipper Wataru Endo was sidelined by an injury that later led to his international retirement, echoed Sano’s sentiments. The centre-back admitted that the team’s early exit was hard to accept after showing such strong potential throughout the competition.

“I never thought this team would end here,” Itakura confessed in his post-match comments. Having shouldered the captaincy, the responsibility of the defeat weighed heavily on the defender, who had aspired to guide the Samurai Blue deep into the knockout rounds.

Japan’s elimination adds to the growing disappointment for Asian nations at this year’s World Cup, leaving Australia as the continent’s last remaining representative. The Socceroos are set to take on Egypt in their upcoming knockout fixture.

Brazil escape with a late lifeline

For Brazil, the match proved a tense affair as they found it difficult to penetrate Japan’s disciplined defence for much of the game. It took a Casemiro header in the 56th minute to bring them level after Sano’s opener had stunned the favourites. The result sees Brazil advance to the round of 16, where they will face the winner of the Ivory Coast vs Norway clash.

The victory also carried historical significance, as Martinelli’s late strike became the latest goal ever scored in regular time to win a World Cup knockout match since Opta began record-keeping in 1966. While Japan return home to contemplate what might have been, Brazil move forward in pursuit of a record sixth world title — though questions remain after their narrow escape.