1 day ago
1
The Japan Football Association said Thursday (June 11, 2026) that skipper Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the country's World Cup squad owed to a ft injury. Later the Liverpool midfielder announced his astonishment status from planetary duty.
The 33-year-old Endo posted his determination connected his X relationship successful Japanese 3 days earlier his team's Group F opener against the Netherlands. The Japan squad has been grooming successful Nashville, Tennessee.
“Since getting injured and up till this point, I've done everything I could and I person nary regret,” said Endo, who underwent country connected his near ft successful February. He came disconnected astatine halftime connected his instrumentality successful Japan's 1-0 warmup lucifer triumph against Iceland connected May 31 successful Tokyo.
“With this campaign, I volition beryllium retiring from the nationalist team. So from present on, I'll beryllium cheering for the Japan nationalist squad arsenic 1 of the fans."
National squad manager Masakuni Yamamoto said Ajax defender Ko Itakura has been named the caller captain, portion Borussia Monchengladbach guardant Shuto Machino has been called up arsenic a replacement for Endo.
