Japan have become the first nation to book their place in the 2026 World Cup through qualifiers by beating Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama.
Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half as the Japanese progressed with three games to spare in the third round of the qualification campaign in Asia.
Canada, Mexico and the United States were already guaranteed a place in next year’s expanded World Cup as the hosts but the Samurai Blue are the first to do so via the qualifiers.
The Asian Football Confederation is guaranteed eight spots in the 48-team tournament with an additional place available through inter-continental play-offs.
Qualifying sees 18 teams split into three groups in the third round with the top two from each group qualifying for the World Cup.
The sides that finish third and fourth in each group advance to the fourth round to battle for the remaining spots available for the continent.
Japan, managed by Hajime Moriyasu, had reached the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, only to lose to Croatia on penalties.
They posted six wins from six matches in the second round of the 2026 qualifiers and are also unbeaten in the third round with six wins and a draw.
Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma and Takumi Minamino, who won the Premier League with the Reds in 2020, were among the starters for Japan, who reached their eighth consecutive World Cup.
Second-placed Australia, who beat Bahrain 5-1, are nine points adrift of Japan.
European qualification begins this week, with England and Wales among the teams in action.
[BBC]