Japan at the FIFA World Cup

Summary

Japan have appeared in the FIFA World Cup on seven occasions, the first being in 1998 where they lost all three group games and finished in 31st position. Masashi Nakayama scored Japan's first ever goal in a World Cup match against Jamaica on 26 June 1998 in a 2–1 defeat.[1] Keisuke Honda became the first Japanese player to score in three world cups: 2010, 2014, 2018.[2]

Japan made their seventh and most recent appearance at the finals at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. In 2018, Japan became the first ever Asian nation to beat a side from South America, after they won 2–1 against Colombia in the group stage. The team has progressed to the round of 16 on four occasions, 2002 (as join-hosts), 2010, 2018 and 2022.

FIFA World Cup record edit

FIFA World Cup finals record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
  1930 Did not enter Did not enter
  1934 Did not enter
  1938 Withdrew Withdrew
  1950 Suspended from FIFA Suspended from FIFA
  1954 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3
  1958 Did not enter Did not enter
  1962 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 4
  1966 Did not enter Did not enter
  1970 Did not qualify 4 0 2 2 4 8
  1974 4 1 0 3 5 4
  1978 4 0 1 3 0 5
  1982 4 2 0 2 4 2
  1986 8 5 1 2 15 5
  1990 6 2 3 1 7 3
  1994 13 9 3 1 35 6
  1998 Group stage 31st 3 0 0 3 1 4 15 9 5 1 51 12
   2002 Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 5 3 Qualified as co-hosts
  2006 Group stage 28th 3 0 1 2 2 7 12 11 0 1 25 5
  2010 Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 4 2 14 8 4 2 23 9
  2014 Group stage 29th 3 0 1 2 2 6 14 8 3 3 30 8
  2018 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 6 7 18 13 3 2 44 7
  2022 Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 5 4 18 15 1 2 58 6
    2026 To be determined To be determined
      2030
  2034
Total Round of 16 7/25 25 7 6 12 25 33 138 83 27 28 305 91

By match edit

World Cup Round Opponent Score Result Japan scorers
1998 Group stage   Argentina 0–1 L
  Croatia 0–1 L
  Jamaica 1–2 L Nakayama
2002 Group stage   Belgium 2–2 D Suzuki, Inamoto
  Russia 1–0 W Inamoto
  Tunisia 2–0 W Morishima, H. Nakata
Round of 16   Turkey 0–1 L
2006 Group stage   Australia 1–3 L Nakamura
  Croatia 0–0 D
  Brazil 1–4 L Tamada
2010 Group stage   Cameroon 1–0 W Honda
  Netherlands 0–1 L
  Denmark 3–1 W Honda, Endō, Okazaki
Round of 16   Paraguay 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–5 p)
D
2014 Group stage   Ivory Coast 1–2 L Honda
  Greece 0–0 D
  Colombia 1–4 L Okazaki
2018 Group stage   Colombia 2–1 W Kagawa, Osako
  Senegal 2–2 D Inui, Honda
  Poland 0–1 L
Round of 16   Belgium 2–3 L Haraguchi, Inui
2022 Group stage   Germany 2–1 W Dōan, Asano
  Costa Rica 0–1 L
  Spain 2–1 W Dōan, Tanaka
Round of 16   Croatia 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(1–3 p)
D Maeda

Record by opponent edit

FIFA World Cup matches (by team)
Opponent Total Wins Draws Losses Goals scored Goals conceded
  Argentina 1 0 0 1 0 1
  Australia 1 0 0 1 1 3
  Belgium 2 0 1 1 4 5
  Brazil 1 0 0 1 1 4
  Cameroon 1 1 0 0 1 0
  Colombia 2 1 0 1 3 5
  Costa Rica 1 0 0 1 0 1
  Croatia 3 0 2 1 1 2
  Denmark 1 1 0 0 3 1
  Germany 1 1 0 0 2 1
  Greece 1 0 1 0 0 0
  Ivory Coast 1 0 0 1 1 2
  Jamaica 1 0 0 1 1 2
  Netherlands 1 0 0 1 0 1
  Paraguay 1 0 1 0 0 0
  Poland 1 0 0 1 0 1
  Russia 1 1 0 0 1 0
  Senegal 1 0 1 0 2 2
  Spain 1 1 0 0 2 1
  Tunisia 1 1 0 0 2 0
  Turkey 1 0 0 1 0 1

Record players edit

 
Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima played through Japan's eleven World Cup matches from 2010 to 2018.
 
Keisuke Honda is Japan's top scorer in World Cup history with four goals in three tournaments.
Rank Player Matches World Cups
1 Yuto Nagatomo 15 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022
2 Makoto Hasebe 11 2010, 2014 and 2018
Eiji Kawashima 11 2010, 2014 and 2018
Maya Yoshida 11 2014, 2018 and 2022
5 Hidetoshi Nakata 10 1998, 2002 and 2006
Shinji Okazaki 10 2010, 2014 and 2018
Keisuke Honda 10 2010, 2014 and 2018
8 Junichi Inamoto 8 2002, 2006 and 2010
9 Yuji Nakazawa 7 2006 and 2010
Yoshito Ōkubo 7 2010 and 2014

Top goalscorers edit

Rank Player Goals World Cups
1 Keisuke Honda 4 2010 (2), 2014 (1), and 2018 (1)
2 Junichi Inamoto 2 2002
Shinji Okazaki 2 2010 and 2014
Takashi Inui 2 2018
Ritsu Doan 2 2022

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "2-1 victory over Japan lifts the Reggae Boyz". Sports Illustrated. 19 September 1998. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Super sub Honda makes history with goal against Senegal". Kyodo News. 9 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.

External links edit

  • Japan at FIFA