Japan national team becomes the first participant of the 2026 World Cup
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
On Thursday, March 20, the Japan national team hosted Bahrain as part of the Asian qualification for the World Cup. This match proved to be significant for the hosts.
Details: The Japanese defeated Bahrain 2-0 and secured an early qualification for the 2026 World Cup. After seven rounds, Japan has accumulated 19 points, leading the third place by 13 points, with four rounds remaining. Thus, they became the first team to secure a ticket to the tournament's final stage.
Japan has been a regular participant in World Cups since 1998. During this period, the team has advanced from the group stage four times and played in the Round of 16.
The upcoming World Cup will feature 48 teams. Currently, four of them are known: the USA, Canada, and Mexico (as hosts), and now Japan.
Reminder: The Dailysports team has prepared the schedule and results of the fifth round of the African qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
