Japan’s Wataru Endo retires after injury ends World Cup 2026 dream
Key takeaways
- Midfielder and captain quits after failing to recover from foot injury ahead of Japan’s game against the Netherlands.
- The Liverpool midfielder pulled out of the tournament after failing to recover from a foot injury, and was replaced in Japan’s squad by Borussia Monchengladbach’s Shuto Machino on Thursday.
- The 33-year-old Endo said on social media that he was “frustrated” at not being able to play but backed his team to impress in Group F, where they face the Dutch, Tunisia and Sweden.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Midfielder and captain quits after failing to recover from foot injury ahead of Japan’s game against the Netherlands.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Wataru Endo said he was 'frustrated' at not being able to play for Japan at the FIFA World Cup [File: Alan Poizner/Reuters]By AFPPublished On 12 Jun 202612 Jun 2026Japan’s captain Wataru Endo has been ruled out of the World Cup with injury and has announced his international retirement, three days before his team’s tournament opener against the Netherlands.
The Liverpool midfielder pulled out of the tournament after failing to recover from a foot injury, and was replaced in Japan’s squad by Borussia Monchengladbach’s Shuto Machino on Thursday.