Japan faces the Netherlands in their Group F opener tonight at 21:00 BST, entering with growing belief this campaign could deliver their best World Cup performance yet. The Samurai Blue topped their 2022 group with victories over Germany and Spain, though fell to Croatia in a Round-of-16 penalty shootout.
Manager Hajime Moriyasu outlined an ambitious vision ahead of the tournament: "My goal is for the team to be one of the best of the best." The 26-man squad will be guided by Maya Yoshida, 37, the former Southampton defender who captained Japan in 2022 and travelled to the tournament in a non-playing support role to provide mentorship behind the scenes.
"For me, reaching the quarter-finals - a stage we've never reached or even experienced before - is the main goal," Yoshida told BBC Sport, noting anything beyond that would be a bonus. Japan arrive unbeaten in their past nine matches against European opposition, providing confidence against the Dutch. Japan have reached the Round-of-16 four times in their World Cup history but never advanced further.
Sweden and Tunisia complete Group F. The expanded 48-team tournament format creates fresh opportunities for unexpected deep runs, with Japan positioned among the tournament's most intriguing outsiders.
→ Next match preview: Netherlands — Japan