June 12, 2026 01:51 IST

Japan suffered a major setback ahead of the World Cup as captain Wataru Endo withdrew through injury, announced his international retirement, and was replaced in the squad by striker Shuto Machino.

Key Points

  • Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the World Cup squad because of injury and announced his retirement from international football.
  • Endo said he had exhausted all efforts to recover but was unable to regain fitness in time for the tournament.
  • Shuto Machino has been called up as his replacement, with Japan set to begin their Group F campaign against the Netherlands. 

Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the World Cup squad due to injury in a blow for the Samurai Blue, with the midfielder also announcing his retirement from international football.

Japan Turn to Machino Ahead of Group Campaign

Endo, who endured an injury-hit season with Liverpool, has been replaced by Borussia Moenchengladbach striker Shuto Machino, the Japan Football Association said in a statement.

"Since my injury, I've done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever," Endo said in a social media post.

The 33-year-old said he was frustrated at not being able to participate in the showpiece event but took pride in the team's growth since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

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"With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team. So from here on, I'll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans," he said.

Japan are in Group F and kick off their eighth appearance at the World Cup finals against the Netherlands in Dallas on June 14 before taking on Tunisia and Sweden.

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Source: Rediff.com