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Japan players pose for a group photo prior to the start of the international friendly football match between Japan and Iceland at the National Stadium in Tokyo on May 31, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images)

The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stages continue on Saturday, with Japan taking on the Netherlands at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Japan are not the favorites to top Group F, with the Netherlands ahead of the pack, as per Polymarket. However, they are expected to come out of the group stages ahead of Sweden and Tunisia.

The Samurai Blue have reached the knockout stages in back-to-back World Cups in 2018 and 2022. They have not made it past the Round of 16 in all of their tournament appearances since their debut in 1998.

Ahead of their first game against the Netherlands, let’s look at which clubs their 26 players represent at the professional level.

Clubs of 2026 FIFA World Cup Japan Squad

GettyTakefusa Kubo of Real Sociedad looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Levante UD and Real Sociedad at Ciutat de Valencia on December 20, 2025 in Valencia, Spain.

Goalkeepers: Zion Suzuki (Parma), Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers)

Defenders: Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden), Ko Itakura (Ajax), Yuta Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax) and Junnosuke Suzuki (Copenhagen)

Midfielders: Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt), Keito Nakamura (Reims), Junya Ito (Genk), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) and Kaishu Sano (Mainz)

Forwards: Shuto Machino (Borussia Monchengladbach), Keisuke Goto (Freiburg), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Koki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), and Kento Shiogai (VfL Wolfsburg)

Japan’s manager Hajime Moriyasu has been in charge since 2018. He previously managed Sanfrecce Hiroshima professionally before taking over the national team’s under-23 in 2017.

League Breakdown of Japan Squad

GettyFeyenoord’s Japanese forward #09 Ayase Ueda reacts during the Dutch Eredivisie football match between Feyenoord and PEC Zwolle at Stadion de Kuip in Rotterdam, on December 6, 2025.

Only three out of the 26 players are playing in Japan’s J1 League. They represent Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Kashima Antlers and FC Tokyo. The rest are all playing in Europe, showing the qualify of the Samurai Blue squad at this year’s World Cup.

Eight players are signed to German clubs, seven of which are in the Bundesliga. Kento Shiogai, who signed to Wolfsburg, will be playing in 2. Bundesliga next season after his club’s relegation.

Two players are signed to Freiburg, while one each for Bayern, Frankfurt, Bremen, Mainz and Monchengladbach.

Five players are in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. Ajax and Feyenoord have two players each, while NEC has one representative.

The English Premier League, Ligue 1 in France and Belgian Pro League have two players each. La Liga in Spain, the Scottish Premier League, Serie A in Italy and the Danish Superliga have one player each.

Japan World Cup Schedule

After Japan’s game against the Netherlands on Sunday, they will face Tunisia on June 20. It will be held at the Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico and is scheduled for a 11:00 p.m. EST kickoff.

Their final group stage game is on June 25 against Sweden back at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.