Japan becomes first team to qualify for 2026 World Cup

Japan secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 2-0 victory over Bahrain in Saitama on Thursday, extending their streak of successive appearances at the finals to eight.

The 2026 tournament, set to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will be the first edition to feature an expanded field of 48 teams, up from 32 in 2022.

Earlier in the day, Australia’s 5-1 win over Indonesia meant Japan would have qualified with just a draw.

However, they ensured progression in style in front of nearly 60,000 home fans, with Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo providing the decisive moments.

The match marked Indonesia’s first outing under new head coach Patrick Kluivert.

Indonesia had an early chance to take the lead, but Kevin Diks missed a penalty in the eighth minute. Just 10 minutes later, Martin Boyle made no mistake from the spot, converting a penalty to put the Socceroos ahead.

Nishan Velupillay and Jackson Irvine extended Australia’s lead before halftime, while Lewis Miller made it 4-0 on the hour mark. Ole Romeny pulled one back for Indonesia, but Irvine struck again to seal a dominant win for the hosts.

In the third round of Asian World Cup qualifying, the top two teams from each of the three six-team groups secure automatic qualification, while the third- and fourth-placed teams advance to an additional stage to compete for two more spots.

Kamada and Kubo Seal Japan’s Qualification

Just three minutes after coming on as a substitute, Kamada capitalised on a clever reverse pass from Kubo, slotting the ball past Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla to give Japan the lead.

Real Sociedad’s Kubo then put the result beyond doubt, scoring from a tight angle with a well-placed left-footed strike.