Japan Captain Retires
Japan Captain Wataru Endo Withdraws from World Cup Due to Injury, Retires Internationally
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Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the 2026 World Cup squad and retired from international duty, the Japan Football Association confirmed on June 11 Associated Press. The 33-year-old Liverpool midfielder posted a retirement statement on X just three days before Japan's Group F opener against the Netherlands in Dallas.
Endo underwent surgery on his left foot in February after an injury sustained playing for Liverpool Newsday. Despite returning to play 45 minutes in a 1-0 friendly win over Iceland on May 31, he could not handle full training intensity at Japan's Nashville base. The attempt to rush him back may have sealed his fate.
A Long Road Back That Ended in Nashville
Endo's injury struck in February during a Premier League match for Liverpool against Sunderland. He had surgery and missed the rest of the club season The Hour. Manager Hajime Moriyasu still named him captain in Japan's 26-man provisional squad on May 15, betting on his recovery.
In the weeks before the tournament, warning signs piled up. Endo trained separately from teammates at Japan's pre-tournament camp in Mexico. When the team arrived in Nashville on June 8, he tried to join full group sessions but could not keep up Winnipeg Free Press. The medical team gave its final report to Moriyasu on June 11, and the decision was made.
Endo's Farewell: 'I Have No Regret'
In his retirement post on X, Endo did not hide his pain but refused to dwell on it. "Since getting injured and up till this point, I've done everything I could and I have no regret," he wrote KTLA. He added: "I'm proud to have led a team who can naturally talk about winning the World Cup."
Endo earned 73 international caps and scored 4 goals for Japan. He was the defensive anchor — a holding midfielder whose job is to break up attacks and protect the defense — of Japan's most successful modern era, which included a Round of 16 run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar Yahoo Sports. His move to Liverpool in 2023 made him one of Japan's most recognizable athletes globally.
Ko Itakura Steps Up as New Captain
Ajax defender Ko Itakura, 29, has been named Japan's new captain WFMZ. He visited Endo's hotel room after the announcement. "It really hurts to lose our captain at this stage," Itakura said. "He was staying calm. We've seen how much resolve he had in leading us until now."
Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Shuto Machino was called up as Endo's replacement. Machino is no stranger to this situation — he also joined Japan as an injury replacement at the 2022 World Cup WCNC. Some analysts have questioned the move, noting that replacing a defensive midfielder with a striker leaves Japan short of experienced options to anchor the midfield alongside Daichi Kamada and Ao Tanaka.
Japan Face Netherlands With Injury Cloud Over Squad
Endo is not Japan's only missing star. Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma was already ruled out with a hamstring injury before the squad was named, and midfielder Hidemasa Morita is also absent Lufkin Daily News. The Samurai Blue face a steep challenge in Group F, which includes the Netherlands (FIFA rank 7), Sweden (rank 38), and Tunisia (rank 45).
Japan kicks off against the Netherlands in Dallas on June 14. Itakura will now organize a defense tasked with stopping elite attackers like Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders News4Jax. National team director Masakuni Yamamoto said the squad had been mentally preparing for Endo's possible absence for two weeks, given his separate training schedule. That preparation will be put to the test immediately.
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