News
Morning Digest · 2026-05-29
T-13 to kickoff. No World Cup matches have been played yet — the opener (M001, Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca) is on June 11 — so this morning is all build-up. For the Japan desk the live story is the final pre-tournament warm-up: the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP vs Iceland on May 31 in Tokyo (T-2 days). Daichi Kamada misses it for club reasons (Conference League final on May 27) and joins the camp on June 2; in his place the JFA gave a one-match callback to former captain Maya Yoshida, his first national-team involvement since the 2022 World Cup. Group F preparations are also taking shape: the Netherlands and Sweden have named their final 26, and editors should confirm roster and injury specifics against each federation before quoting them.
Previous Matches
Today to Watch
- Watch #1Japan open Group F against the Netherlands on June 15 (JST) at AT&T Stadium, Dallas — the watch-value headline of the group. Koeman's final 26 is Premier League-heavy (15) and led by Van Dijk; Timber is back from injury while Xavi Simons is out with an ACL rupture. Confirm the canonical 26 and injuries via KNVB (onsoranje.nl) before citing names.Netherlands vs JapanJun 14 16:00Group F
- Watch #2The tournament itself begins June 11 with the opener at Estadio Azteca — host Mexico against South Africa. No finals matches have been played yet, so today's tables and scores remain empty by schedule.Mexico vs South AfricaJun 11 15:00Group A
- Watch #3Japan's other Group F dates: Sweden (M036) loom as a marquee test, with Graham Potter's squad fronted by Isak and Gyökeres and tuning up against Norway (June 1) and Greece (June 4). Reconcile the full 26 against svenskfotboll.se.Japan vs SwedenJun 25 19:00Group F
- Watch #4Tunisia (M034) round out Group F, with Sabri Lamouchi's 26 captained by Ellyes Skhiri and featuring Hannibal Mejbri. The squad currently rests on aggregator sources — the FTF official release (ftf.org.tn) is still uncaptured, so treat the roster as provisional.Tunisia vs JapanJun 21 00:00Group F
Japan Pick
Watch the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP vs Iceland on May 31 (19:25 KO, National Stadium, Tokyo) — Japan's last warm-up before the World Cup, and a sold-out one. The subplot is Maya Yoshida's one-match return: with Kamada absent until June 2, the 37-year-old former captain was recalled purely for this fixture as a mark of respect, telling reporters this game is 'my World Cup.' Broadcast details (reported as nationwide live on the NTV network plus streaming) are not yet confirmed in our sources — verify before publishing a broadcast block.