Following a setback recovering from a broken foot suffered in February, Liverpool midfielder and Japan captain Wataru Endo was forced to withdraw from the national team on the day World Cup 2026 kicked off.
Unfortunately, it’s a setback that doesn’t mean Endo will just miss this summer’s tournament. It means that he has played his final game for Japan, with the player confirming his international retirement shortly following news that he was out of the World Cup.
“As announced, I will be stepping away
from the World Cup squad,” Endo confirmed on social media. Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could, so I have no regrets.
“Of course there’s frustration at not being able to participate in this World Cup, but more than that I’m proud of how we’ve grown together since the Qatar World Cup. The current team is truly a wonderful team. I believe they will overcome any adversity and show us sights we’ve never seen before.
“However, 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.
“The moment when the Japan national team wins the World Cup will surely come someday. Let’s believe in that and cheer them on together. And let’s unite Japan’s strength as one so that moment comes in this tournament—let’s take on the World Cup together [and] give it everything we’ve got!”
Endo has played 73 games for Japan in his senior career, captaining them for the first time in summer of 2023. His top result with Japan was finishing runners-up at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, a tournament he won the U23 version of with Japan in 2016.
