Japan secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup after defeating Bahrain 2-0 in the seventh round of the third round of Asian qualifiers.
The Samurai Blue’s two goals came from Daichi Kamada in the 66th minute and Takefusa Kubo in the 87th minute, making them the first team in the world after the host nations (the United States, Canada, and Mexico) to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
Japan increased its points tally to 19 after the first seven rounds, with six wins and one draw, while Bahrain’s tally remained at six points in fifth place.
With the number of teams participating in the upcoming World Cup increasing to 48, eight teams from Asia will qualify directly, with another half-placed spot to be determined through the global play-off.
It’s worth noting that the Japanese computer has participated in the last seven consecutive World Cup editions, with its best achievement being reaching the round of 16 in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022.
