Saitama, March 22 Wataru Endo said Japan can win the FIFA World Cup 2026 after becoming the first team to qualify and the Liverpool ace urged fans to buy into the ambitious target.
Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 in their AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road to 2026 Group C tie on Thursday to punch their ticket to next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico after a dominant run in qualifying.
The four-time Asian champions have never gone beyond the last 16 at a FIFA World Cup but captain Endo addressed fans on the pitch after the game and urged them to believe they can lift the trophy next summer.
"I thought it was good for them to hear me say it. Qualifying for the World Cup is an important point so I wanted to share our target with the fans, not just the players," Endo was quoted saying by FIFA.com
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored second-half goals to give Japan six wins and one draw from seven games so far in the third round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers.
The result sent them through to their eighth straight FIFA World Cup and Endo said fans now think they will qualify "as a matter of course".
"If they think we're going to qualify then we just have to meet those expectations. Our goal isn't just to qualify for the World Cup but to make an impact there, and that's the next level for Japan. I want people to have those expectations of us," he added.
Japan play Saudi Arabia at home on Tuesday before rounding off their campaign with games against Australia and Indonesia in June.
Crystal Palace forward Kamada said the team needs to keep improving to make a splash next summer in North America.
"We need to make the most of our individual ability, We have some great players but we can still get better. The more we improve individually, the closer we'll get to achieving our goal.
"Games are longer these days and it's about more than just 11 players," he said. "Of course I want to play from the start but there are also good things about coming off the bench," he said.
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