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| 사진=AP Yonhap News |
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| 사진=AP Yonhap News |
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Japan won the World Cup.
Japan's national soccer team, led by coach Hajime Moriyasu, beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup at Saitama Stadium in Japan at 7:35 p.m. on the 20th. Japan continued its unbeaten streak with six wins and one draw (19 points), securing at least second place in the group regardless of the results of the remaining three games and getting tickets to North Korea and Central America. With the victory, Japan became the first country to qualify for the North Korea-China World Cup.
Japanese media Nikkan Sports said on the 21st that Japan has confirmed its advance to the World Cup for the eighth consecutive time at an all-time high speed. It will speed up to win the North Korea-China World Cup, which will open in June next year. For the first time in a row, Moriyasu led the Asian qualifiers to the finals from scratch. He held a press conference. He declared that he would use the longest preparation period ever of 448 days to lead his team to a World Cup championship and develop the soccer culture to achieve his feat,' the report said.
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| 사진=AFP-JIJI Press Yonhap News |
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| 사진=AP Yonhap News |
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Japan was the first country in the world to confirm its advance to the finals, except for the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which automatically participate as co-hosts in the North-China World Cup, where the number of countries advancing to the finals will increase to 48. Previously, from the 2006 German Games to the 2014 Brazil Games, Japan has been named the '1st World Cup Finalist' for three consecutive times. Japan has also advanced to the World Cup finals for eight consecutive times since the 1998 French Games, when it first made the finals. Japan's best record at the World Cup is three times in the round of 16 (2002, 2018, 2022).
Nikkan Sports said 'Japan got the longest preparation period of 448 days. There is no time to rest for the team that aims to win the World Cup. Moriyasu continued to demand personal growth and step-up. He said he also asked people to understand because he sincerely aims to win the championship.
Director Moriyasu "Honestly is pleased. At the same time, there is also a part of relief. I want to always try to evolve even a little bit. I'll do my best for the future"If you look at the winning countries in the past, you can't win unless it's a concern for the whole country." Cheering gives energy to the players."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
