Japan has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, becoming the first nation to qualify after defeating Bahrain 2-0 on Thursday, March 20.
Japan’s Path to Qualification
Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo sealed Japan’s spot in their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance. The team has now qualified for every tournament since 1998, a milestone that came four years before they co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea.
With this victory, Japan guaranteed one of the two automatic qualification spots in Group C of the Asian qualifiers. They achieved this with three games to spare, making them the first non-host nation to book a spot in the expanded 48-team tournament, joining co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Asian Qualification Process
At least eight teams from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will participate in the 2026 World Cup. Five additional teams can still qualify in this third round of Asian qualifiers, which consists of three groups of six nations each.
- Group C: Japan is already through, while Australia is in a strong position to qualify.
- Group A: Iran leads, followed by Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates.
- Group B: South Korea tops the group, with Iraq and Jordan competing for qualification.
Next Steps in Qualification
The current round of qualifying will continue through March and conclude in June. Afterward, a fourth round will take place, featuring two groups of three teams each. The winners of those groups will also qualify for the World Cup.
Additionally, Asia could secure a ninth spot through the inter-confederation play-offs. This stage will feature one team each from Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceania, along with two teams from CONCACAF (North, Central America, and the Caribbean).
Japan’s early qualification underscores their dominance in Asian football, setting the stage for another strong World Cup campaign in 2026.
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