NEW DELHI: In a major blow to Japan, its skipper Wataru Endo has been ruled out of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the country’s football federation said on Thursday.
“In the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan national team) participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Wataru Endo (Liverpool FC) has withdrawn from the team due to injury, and Shuto Machino (Borussia Mönchengladbach) has been called up as his replacement,” the statement read.
Japan open its campaign against the Netherlands on June 14, after which it plays Tunisia and Sweden for the rest of the group stage games. Agencies
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