Japan vows to 'change history' against Brazil in World Cup round of 32

Japan's national football team is preparing for a bold challenge as it faces perennial title contender Brazil in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Japan entered the tournament with an explicit goal of winning the title, only to draw one of the toughest possible opponents at the first knockout stage — a five-time World Cup champion. The team must also navigate the absence of key attacker Kubo Takefusa, 25, of Real Sociedad, who is sidelined with an injury.

Yet coach Moriyasu Hajime expressed confidence that his side could rise to the occasion even without its ace. "We can change history," he said.

According to ESPN, Moriyasu told a pre-match news conference Monday that Kubo would not feature against Brazil. "Kubo is still only doing individual training and running, so he will not play against Brazil," he said. "We sincerely hope he recovers as soon as possible, and he feels the same way," Moriyasu added.

Kubo injured his left knee in Japan's opening group-stage match against the Netherlands on June 15, a 2-2 draw, and was substituted off for Ogawa Koki in the 75th minute. He has since focused solely on treatment and rehabilitation.

Japan navigated the tournament's so-called "Group of Death" alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia, finishing second in Group F with one win and two draws. They will face Group C winners Brazil — who finished with two wins and one draw — at Houston Stadium in Texas at 2 a.m. Tuesday for a place in the round of 16.

The draw has handed Japan a near-worst-case path through the bracket. Still, the team has shown it can compete with the world's elite: at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Japan stunned Germany and Spain in the group stage, and at this tournament it held the Netherlands to a draw.

Last October, Japan also pulled off a 3-2 comeback victory over Brazil — then coached by Carlo Ancelotti — in a friendly in Tokyo. It was Japan's first win against Brazil in 14 matches, ending a run that included six consecutive defeats and a record of two draws and 11 losses.

Moriyasu was candid about the gap between the two sides. "Brazil is one of the top teams in the world, and Japan is not yet at that level — that is the reality," he said. "We are aiming to win the World Cup, but we have never reached that level yet."

He acknowledged Japan's underdog status heading into the match. "Brazil is always a title contender — a team with a very high chance of winning," he said. "Many people will call us the underdog. We will take the field knowing that."

Moriyasu drew on last year's friendly as a source of belief. "Even in that friendly, people said we had no chance of winning. But we were able to win," he said. "This time, too, we can change history."