Japan’s Wataru Endo retires after injury ends dream of World Cup 2026 | World Cup 2026 news

The midfielder and captain has retired after failing to recover from a foot injury before Japan’s game against the Netherlands.

The captain of the Japanese team, Wataru Endo, has said that he will not participate in the World Cup due to injury and has announced his retirement from international duty, three days before his team starts its tournament against the Netherlands.

The Liverpool star was ruled out of the tournament after failing to recover from a foot injury, and was replaced in the Japan squad by Borussia Monchengladbach’s Shuto Machino on Thursday.

Endo, 33, said on television that he was “disappointed” not to play but helped his team progress in Group F, where they face the Dutch, Tunisia and Sweden.

“There will come a time in the future when Japan will win the World Cup, let’s believe in this and support the team,” he wrote on X.

“Let’s bring the power of Japan together to make this time happen in North America.”

He also said: “I have decided to retire from the national team. From now on, I will be helping Japan as a friendly person.”

Endo suffered a season-ending foot injury while playing for Liverpool against Sunderland in February, but made his return for Japan in a 1-0 win over Iceland in Tokyo on 31 May.

He came off at half-time and continued to feel unwell at the team’s pre-World Cup camp in Mexico, where he did not participate in all training sessions.

He took part in training as Japan moved to their World Cup venue in Nashville on Monday, but was unable to get up to speed in the tournament.

“I have done everything I can since I got injured, so I have no regrets,” said Endo.

“Of course, I am disappointed that I will not be able to play with them at the World Cup.

“But more than that, I am proud to have been the captain of this team since the Qatar World Cup and helped it grow into a team where it makes sense to say that our goal is to win the World Cup.”

Endo played for Japan in 2015 and retired in 73 games, having scored four goals for his country.

He was a member of Japan’s squads for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and played in their shock victories over Germany and Spain in Qatar.