Japan captain Wataru Endo pulled out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad on June 11 due to a season-ending foot injury and announced his retirement from international football [1, 2, 3, 4]. The 33-year-old midfielder had suffered the injury in February during a Liverpool match against Sunderland and underwent surgery [3, 5, 6, 7].

Endo returned briefly to play 45 minutes in a warmup friendly against Iceland on May 31 but withdrew from training soon after due to lingering discomfort [3, 5, 6, 8]. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said, "We had him try the best he could... but it may be difficult for him to perform for the entire period of the games" [8].

Endo made his Japan debut in 2015 and earned 73 caps with 4 goals. He captained the national team since the 2022 World Cup, leading the team’s push to become serious World Cup contenders [3, 5, 7]. In a social media post, Endo said, "Since my injury, I've done everything I possibly could... I have no regrets whatsoever." He added, "With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team. From here on, I'll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans" [1].

Endo expressed frustration at missing the tournament but pride in how the team has grown during his captaincy. "I'm proud of how we've grown together since the Qatar World Cup... turning our goal of 'winning the World Cup' into something we can say as a matter of course," he said [6].

Defender Ko Itakura of Ajax has been named Japan’s new captain for the World Cup. He said, "Wataru is the one who will feel the most frustration... He has been a real leader for this team. I want to accept this role with a sense of responsibility and determination" [7].

Endo was replaced in the squad by Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Shuto Machino. Machino is a forward and not a like-for-like midfield replacement, a change that has added challenges for coach Moriyasu [9, 10, 6, 8]. The squad has also been hit by injuries to winger Kaoru Mitoma and forward Takumi Minamino, who will miss the tournament [6, 7].

Japan opens its Group F campaign against the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium on June 14, followed by matches against Tunisia and Sweden [1, 2, 3, 4]. Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman expressed fitness concerns for some Dutch players, including Memphis Depay and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen [9, 10].

This marks a significant shift for Japan just three days before their first match. The team will now begin the tournament without their longstanding captain and midfield leader.