Japan's national football team has encountered significant bad news ahead of the 2026 World Cup campaign.
The Japan Football Association issued a statement confirming that Wataru Endo, the national team's captain and midfielder, has withdrawn from the squad for the 2026 World Cup due to a foot injury.
The 33-year-old midfielder from Liverpool, known as the "Reds," underwent surgery on his left foot at the end of February and returned to play in the match between Japan and Iceland on 31 May in Tokyo, but had to leave the field at halftime.
He trained separately from the team during preparations for the World Cup and had only recently been able to resume partial full training, but ultimately had to withdraw, much to everyone's disappointment.
Endo will be replaced by Shuto Mashino, a forward from Borussia Mönchengladbach, while the team captain's armband will be passed on to the strong defender Ko Itakura.
This marks the second significant player loss for Japan, following the earlier injury of Kaoru Mitoma, a key winger from Brighton, who will also miss the World Cup.
Japan's national team will open their 2026 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on 14 June.