Top five players left out of Japan's FIFA World Cup 2026 squad ft. Kaoru Mitoma
(Courtesy : Getty)
The Samurai Blue’s most crucial star has been left out of the roster.
Japan haven’t missed a FIFA World Cup since making their debut in France in 1998.
They easily qualified for their ninth straight finals by winning their Asian qualification group, making them the first non-host country to secure their spot in North America this summer.
In their most recent appearance in Qatar 2022, Japan made an impression by defeating Germany and Spain, two of the world’s greatest football teams, to win their group. However, they lost to Croatia on penalties in the Round of 16.
This time, the Samurai Blue have announced a quality squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup. But there are many notable names missing; below, we list those five names.
List of the top five players missing from the Japan World Cup 2026 squad
| Rank | Player | Club |
| 5 | Hidemasa Morita | Sporting CP |
| 4 | Koki Machida | TSG Hoffenheim |
| 3 | Reo Hatate | Celtic |
| 2 | Takumi Minamino | Monaco |
| 1 | Kaoru Mitoma | Brighton |
5. Hidemasa Morita
The 26 players that manager Hajime Moriyasu has selected for the competition, which will begin next month in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, do not include an in-form Hidemasa Morita. Despite his impressive performance in the UEFA Champions League, the midfielder for Sporting CP, Morita, was unable to regain his spot on the national squad.
The veteran midfielder’s inclusion could have added experience to the squad. But manager Moriyasu had other plans, which resulted in the 31-year-old’s omission from the roster.
4. Koki Machida
It has been unfortunate news for Kokic Machida. He has not been able to make a cut for the Japan World Cup squad despite being deemed fit by TSG Hoffenheim’s medical team.
Machida returned to training recently after an ACL tear in August 2025. He is now available to play in the last few games of the club season. He is unlucky not to be included in the Samurai Blue World Cup roster.
3. Reo Hatate
Hatate was called up to the Samurai Blue U24 team for the 2020 Olympics after representing Japan at the youth level. He made his debut for Japan in a World Cup qualifier against Vietnam on March 29, 2022.
However, Reo Hatate, a midfielder for Celtic who has had trouble with form this year, has no place in the squad that will compete in the 2026 World Cup. He hasn’t been called up by Japan for over a year.
2. Takumi Minamino
In addition to competing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Minamino made his senior international debut for Japan in 2015. He was a key member of the squad that advanced to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final. Unfortunately, the player will not be attending the 2026 World Cup.
Takumi Minamino, a forward for AS Monaco, is sidelined after rupturing his left knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in late December. Hence, he won’t be fit in time for the competition, which is disappointing news for the fans.
1. Kaoru Mitoma
After being forced to exclude the injured winger from his World Cup squad on Friday, an emotional Hajime Moriyasu claimed that Japan had lost “a major presence” in Kaoru Mitoma.
Medical personnel determined that Mitoma did not have enough time to heal from a hamstring injury he sustained during Brighton‘s 3-0 Premier League victory over Wolves last Saturday; hence, he was left out of the roster.
Why has Mitoma been omitted from the Japan squad?
Due to a hamstring injury.
Why is Takumi Minamino not named in the Samurai Blue World Cup squad?
Due to a knee injury.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.