Wataru Endo retires from Japan after World Cup withdrawal

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has withdrawn from Japan’s 2026 World Cup squad due to injury and simultaneously announced his retirement from international football, ending a distinguished career for the Blue Samurai in the most painful circumstances possible.

Endo had been carrying fitness concerns heading into the tournament after undergoing surgery in February for a foot injury sustained against Sunderland. He did not feature for Liverpool again for the remainder of the club season following that operation. Despite this, manager Hajime Moriyasu selected him in the World Cup squad and Endo returned to action for Japan against Iceland at the end of May, lasting 45 minutes. That friendly has since turned out to be his final appearance in international football.

Wataru Endo announces Japan international retirement

Endo posted his retirement announcement on social media, paying tribute to his teammates and acknowledging both the frustration of missing the tournament and the pride he takes in what the squad has achieved since Qatar 2022.

“Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever,” he wrote. “Of course, there’s frustration at not being able to participate in this World Cup, but more than that, I’m proud of how we’ve grown together since the Qatar World Cup, me as captain, leading this team and turning our goal of winning the World Cup into something we can say as a matter of course.”

He added: “The current team is truly a wonderful team. I believe they will overcome any adversity and show us sights we’ve never seen before. With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team. So from here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans.”

What Wataru Endo’s absence means for Japan at World Cup 2026

Endo has been replaced in the Japan squad by Shuto Machino. The withdrawal is a significant blow to Japan’s World Cup preparations, with Endo having been the captain and the experienced midfield anchor around whom Moriyasu built his team’s defensive structure. Japan are in Group F alongside Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia, and were given a 58% chance of advancing from the group stage, predicted to finish second behind the Dutch. The squad will now need to find a way to replace both the physical and the leadership contribution that Endo would have provided from the base of midfield, and the absence of their captain before a ball has been kicked makes an already tough group considerably more demanding.