On Friday, the qualifying round for next year's World Championship in football for the European nations begins. But in Asia, they have been underway since October.
And now, the first team is clear for the 2026 World Championship, in addition to the host nations Canada, USA, and Mexico.
Through goals by Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo, Japan could defeat Bahrain at home and secure one of two direct spots in their group.
The advancement means that Japan is clear for its eighth consecutive World Championship on the men's side.
Japan will be the best in the world. I wonder how many believe in the dream we are aiming for. We hear people saying it's impossible and we know it will be difficult. But I want to believe in Japan's strength. So let's do this together, says national team coach Hajime Moriyasu in a statement via the Japanese national team's official media channels, according to Aftonbladet.
The Football World Championship will be played between June 11 and July 19 and will consist of 48 teams instead of 32, which has been the case previously.
