HOUSTON, Texas — Japan meet Brazil in a World Cup knockout match that echoes their first tournament meeting two decades ago in Germany, when Brazil won 4-1. That 2006 Brazilian side featured Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaká, while Japan fielded Hidetoshi Nakata, Junichi Inamoto and Shunsuke Nakamura.
The scale of the two squads has shifted markedly since then. Brazil remain the most successful nation in World Cup history but have not won a sixth title. Japan were ranked 18th entering the 2006 tournament and held the same ranking this summer, yet the composition of their squad is very different.
Only three members of the current Japan squad are based in the J.League: 39-year-old Yūto Nagatomo, who spent seven years as a regular for Inter Milan, and backup goalkeepers Keisuke Ōsako and Tomoki Hayakawa. The rest of the roster features players active in Europe’s top competitions, including the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Even without injured stars Kaoru Mitoma, Wataru Endo and Takumi Minamino, Japan have notable European-based contributors. Ayase Ueda finished last season as the Eredivisie’s top scorer with 25 goals for Feyenoord. Brazil’s squad carries its own strengths: Neymar is still present at 34, Vinícius Júnior is the focal attacking figure, Gabriel Magalhães has established himself among top center backs, and Raphinha enjoyed a strong 2024-25 season with Barcelona before encountering fitness issues last term.
Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said the team are confident ahead of the match. “The players [and the whole] team have confidence, even playing against Brazil,” he told ESPN. Japan have repeatedly stated their target is to win the World Cup this summer, and they noted that had they topped Group F they would have faced Morocco, who held Brazil to a 1-1 draw in the group stage.
