We have a range of World Cup tips available across every team, group and game of the tournament in Qatar. Here is how we think Japan will fare at the World Cup, and which betting odds are currently standing out to us.
Japan are back at a FIFA World Cup, and this is the seventh consecutive appearance that the Blue Samurai will make. They made their debut at France 1998 but failed to get out of the group stage on that occasion.
Since then, they have alternated between going home in the Round of 16 and being eliminated in the group stage. Four years ago, they were sent packing in the first knockout stage by Belgium, but only after a gallant effort - Japan going down 3-2 against the Red Devils.
:quality(70)/res.cloudinary.com/xlmedia-alpha/image/upload/v1677149672/Salesforce_Logos/BetUK/BetUK_Logo_2023-02-23T10-54-27.png){kind=logo}
BetUK Sports
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
Terms & Conditions Apply- Best betting odds & games
- Play the widest and best range of online slots machines at Bet UK
- Best UK offers our players one of the best selections of casino
Japan have exited the World Cup in the round of 16 stage, losing on penalties to Croatia after drawing the game 1-1.
They’ve had wins over Germany and Spain, so will no doubt leave with a lot of confidence and hopes for the future.
Japan World Cup Group
- Germany 1-2 Japan
- Japan 0-1 Costa Rica
- Japan 2-1 Spain
- Japan 1-1 Croatia (Croatia win on penalties) - Last 16 Round
Japan 2022 World Cup Squad
Here is the confirmed Japan World Cup squad for Qatar 2022
- Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Daniel Schmidt (Sint Truiden), Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse).
- Defenders: Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Red Diamonds), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Hiroki Ito (VfB Stuttgart), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo).
- Midfielders: Junya Ito (Stade de Reims), Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg), Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus).
- Forwards: Takuma Asano (Vfl Bochum), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge), Shuto Machino (Shonan Bellmare).
Takumi Minamino brings a touch of quality to the table for Japan, having moved this summer from Liverpool to French Ligue 1 side Monaco. He never got the playing time he would have wanted at Anfield. Minamino has good versatility pushing forward and can drift past players. After excellent performances at the 2019 Asian Cup, he should be an essential player for Japan at the 2022 World Cup.
Junyo Ito is another player Japan will look to for big performances. The attacking player, who plays for Stade de Reims, was their top scorer during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. He’s been an excellent performer and Japan will need his help breaking forward in counterattacks.
Maya Yoshida will have a lot of work to do at the tournament as the centre half will have to try and keep the likes of Spain’s Ferran Torres and Germany’s Thomas Muller quiet. Yoshida, who spent several seasons in the Premier League with Southampton, won much praise for his quality performances at the 2018 World Cup - Japan will need his sizable influence again.
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
Full T&Cs Apply. New cust only. Deposit & Place a Bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 Horse Racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football. 7 day expiry. Stake not returned. 18+ BeGambleAware.org. BeGambleAware.org.
