Japan’s manager believes his team has a bright future ahead on the world stage.
“Winning the World Cup and becoming the world’s number one, that dream did not come true,” Moriyasu said. “As the manager, I feel very sorry about that. We had wonderful players, and the team came together as one. The players and staff fought with incredible tenacity until the very end in every match. I believe we had chances, including in today’s game. We had opportunities to win, but we couldn’t take them.”
Moriyasu took the blame for the team not meeting the moment. But he also credited them for showing up to a level of competition they had no idea they could hang with. Japan dueled eventual Group F winners, the Netherlands, to a 2–2 draw, then shut out Tunisia 4–0, before finishing group play with a 1–1 draw versus Sweden.
Japan stunned the crowd at NRG Stadium in Houston by taking a shock lead against Brazil in the 28th minute, with Kaishū Sano scoring the first goal from outside the penalty box. Brazil scored their tying goal early in the second half: Gabriel Magalhaes lobbed the ball into the box, and Casemiro hit a header into the net. In the 95th minute of sudden death, Bruno Guimaraes passed the ball deep into the penalty box; Gabriel Martinelli aimed for the far post, goalie Zion Suzuki missed the save, and Brazil advanced to the Round of 16.
Moriyasu said the team was exhausted by the end of the game, but they showed their ability to fight through it despite the loss. He said the team needed to improve in transition in order to stop being put on the back foot so often and turn defenses into scoring opportunities. He also said the team needs to get better at beating the press.
Despite being overwhelmed, Moriyasu said Japan’s fight showed they belong on the world stage.
“I definitely feel we’ve managed to narrow the gap,” he said. “It’s not that we are on par with them yet, but Japan is undoubtedly getting closer to that top global standard. That is the sense I get. However, the fact remains that, in terms of results, we still get overpowered at times; that gap is a reality, so I feel we need to bridge it.”
Japan will next compete in the AFC Asian Cup in 2027. Moriyasu said that even if they win that tournament, it won’t erase the bad taste in their mouths from being eliminated. He wants the squad to become the best in their home continent and aim for higher heights afterward. Moriyasu said he was grateful to the players and staff for their hard work in the tournament and hoped they would take that disappointment and use it to fuel their fire for the future.
“I believe the phase of the Japan national team in the world has changed,” Moriyasu said. “I have said many times that our goal is to become world champions. Realistically, we are not yet the favorites, but we are in a position where we can become world champions as a dark horse. I think today’s match was one where, if we had won, it would have been possible. By openly declaring that we are challenging for the World Cup, we made many people—not just the soccer family, but also casual fans and even those who don’t usually follow football—think about what it takes for Japan to become world champions.”
He added that Japan has likely established a bigger fanbase in Japan and around the world.
“Even though we didn’t achieve it this time, I feel the circle of people who support and empathize with the Japan national team’s challenge to become number one in the world has grown larger,” he said. “This includes not only the core soccer community but also many casual fans across Japan. I told the players, although we didn’t achieve it this time, the shortest path to the future is to set clear goals and keep building steadily. Japanese people have the ability to do that. Let’s continue to do it properly.”
