Japan's all-time FIFA World Cup statistics

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In this continuously-updated article, we take a look at Japan's all-time FIFA World Cup statistics.

All-time record across 8 FIFA World Cup appearances (1998–2026)

Confederation	AFC
Best FIFA World Cup achievement	Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022)
FIFA World Cup appearances (inc 2026)	8 (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
First FIFA World Cup	1998 (group stage)
Most recent FIFA World Cup	2022 (round of 16)
Current sequence of successive qualifications (inc 2026)	8 (since 1998)
FIFA World Cup hosts	2002 co-hosts (round of 16)

Record by tournament

Year - Host	Result	Head coach	Top scorer	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD
1930 - URU	Did not participate
1934 - ITA	Did not participate
1938 - FRA	Did not participate
1950 - BRA	Did not participate
1954 - SUI	Did not qualify
1958 - SWE	Did not participate
1962 - CHI	Did not qualify
1966 - ENG	Did not participate
1970 - MEX	Did not qualify
1974 - FRG	Did not qualify
1978 - ARG	Did not qualify
1982 - ESP	Did not qualify
1986 - MEX	Did not qualify
1990 - ITA	Did not qualify
1994 - USA	Did not qualify
1998 - FRA	Group stage	Takeshi Okada, JPN	Masashi Nakayama (1)	3	0	0	3	1	4	-3
2002 - JPN/KOR	Round of 16	Philippe Troussier, FRA	Junichi Inamoto (2)	4	2	1	1	5	3	2
2006 - GER	Group stage	Zico, BRA	Shunsuke Nakamura, Keiji Tamada (1)	3	0	1	2	2	7	-5
2010 - RSA	Round of 16	Takeshi Okada, JPN	Keisuke Honda (2)	4	2	1	1	4	2	2
2014 - BRA	Group stage	Alberto Zaccheroni, ITA	Keisuke Honda, Shinji Okazaki (1)	3	0	1	2	2	6	-4
2018 - RUS	Round of 16	Akira Nishina, JPN	Takashi Inui (2)	4	1	1	2	6	7	-1
2022 - QAT	Round of 16	Hajime Moriyasu, JPN	Ritsu Doan (2)	4	2	1	1	5	4	1
OVERALL RECORD				25	7	6	12	25	33	-8

P = Played · W = Won · D = Drawn · L = Lost · F = Goals for · A = Goals against · GD = Goal difference

All-time World Cup record

Phase	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Overall	25	7	6	12	25	33	-8
Group stage	21	7	4	10	22	28	-6
Knockout phase	4	0	2	2	3	5	-2

GF = Goals for · GA = Goals against · GD = Goal difference

General team records

Biggest win	3-1: vs Denmark (group stage, 24/06/2010) 2-0: vs Tunisia (group stage, 14/06/2002)
Biggest defeat	1-4: vs Brazil (group stage, 22/06/2006) 1-4: vs Colombia (group stage, 24/06/2014)
Highest scoring draw	2-2: twice, most recently vs Senegal (group stage, 24/06/2018)
Highest scoring match	5 goals: three times, most recently Japan 2-3 Belgium (round of 16, 02/07/2018)
Most goals scored in a match	3 goals: 3-1 vs Denmark (group stage, 24/06/2010)
Most goals conceded in a match	4 goals: twice, most recently, 1-4 vs Colombia (group stage, 24/06/2014)
Most goals scored at a FIFA World Cup	6: 2018 (4 matches)
Fewest goals scored at a FIFA World Cup	1: 1998 (3 matches)
Most goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup	7: 2006 (3 matches), 2018 (4 matches)
Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup	2: 2010 (4 matches)

Streaks

Successive wins	2: 09/06/2002 - 14/06/2002
Successive defeats	3: 14/06/1998 - 26/06/1998
Successive draws	1: six times, most recently, 05/12/2022 - present
Successive matches without a defeat	3: 04/06/2002 - 14/06/2002
Successive matches without a win	4: three times, most recently, 29/06/2010 - 24/06/2014
Successive matches with a goal scored	4: 26/06/1998 - 14/06/2002
Successive matches without scoring	2: 14/06/1998 - 20/06/1998
Successive clean sheets	2: 09/06/2002 - 14/06/2002

Knockout records

Round by round WL record *ties won or lost

Round of 16 - W0 L4

Extra time

Paraguay vs Japan	0-0 AET 5-3 PSO	2010, round of 16
Japan vs Croatia	1-1 AET (1-1, 1-0) 1-3 PSO	2022, round of 16

Penalty shoot-outs

W0 L2

L 3-5 vs Paraguay (2010, round of 16)

L 1-3 vs Croatia (2022, round of 16)

Player records

Most FIFA World Cup participations

4 - Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

4 - Seigo Narazaki (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

4 - Yuto Nagatomo (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)

4 - Eiji Kawashima (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)

Most FIFA World Cup matches played

15 - Yuto Nagatomo (4-2010; 3-2014; 4-2018; 4-2022)

11 - Makoto Hasebe (4-2010; 3-2014; 4-2018)

11 - Eiji Kawashima (4-2010; 3-2014; 4-2018)

11 - Maya Yoshida (3-2014; 4-2018; 4-2022)

10 - Keisuke Honda (4-2010; 3-2014; 3-2018)

10 - Hidetoshi Nakata (3-1998; 4-2002; 3-2006)

10 - Shinji Okazaki (4-2010; 3-2014; 3-2018)

8 - Junichi Inamoto (4-2002; 2-2006; 2-2010)

7 - Yuji Nakazawa (3-2006; 4-2010)

7 - Yoshito Okubo (4-2010; 3-2014)

Most FIFA World Cup goals scored

4 - Keisuke Honda (2-2010; 1-2014; 1-2018)

2 - Junichi Inamoto (2-2002)

2 - Takashi Inui (2-2018)

2 - Shinji Okazaki (1-2010; 1-2014)

2 - Ritsu Doan (2-2022)

1 - 13 players

Most FIFA World Cup tournaments with a goal

3 - Keisuke Honda (2010, 2014, 2018)

Youngest player to make an appearance at a FIFA World Cup

18y 272d - Shinji Ono vs Jamaica (26/06/1998)

21y 143d - Hidetoshi Nakata vs Argentina (14/06/1998)

21y 172d - Takefusa Kubo vs Germany (23/11/2022)

22y 21d - Daisuke Ichikawa vs Belgium (04/06/2002)

22y 259d - Junichi Inamoto vs Belgium (04/06/2002)

Youngest goalscorer at a FIFA World Cup

22y 259d - Junichi Inamoto vs Belgium (04/06/2002)

24y 1d - Keisuke Honda vs Cameroon (14/06/2010)

24y 69d - Shinji Okazaki vs Denmark (24/06/2010)

24y 82d - Ao Tanaka vs Spain (01/12/2022)

24y 160d - Ritsu Doan vs Germany (23/11/2022)

Oldest player to make an appearance at a FIFA World Cup

36y 84d - Yuto Nagatomo vs Croatia (05/12/2022)

35y 104d - Eiji Kawashima vs Belgium (02/07/2018)

34y 259d - Masashi Nakayama vs Russia (09/06/2002)

34y 165d - Makoto Hasebe vs Belgium (02/07/2018)

34y 142d - Yasuhito Endo vs Greece (19/06/2014)

Oldest goalscorer at a FIFA World Cup

32y 11d - Keisuke Honda vs Senegal (24/06/2018)

30y 276d - Masashi Nakayama vs Jamaica (26/06/1998)

30y 147d - Yasuhito Endo vs Denmark (24/06/2010)

30y 45d - Hiroaki Morishima vs Tunisia (14/06/2002)

30y 30d - Takashi Inui vs Belgium (02/07/2018)

Most consecutive appearances with a goal

2 - Junichi Inamoto (04/06/2002 - 09/06/2002)

Most goals in a match

1 - 18 players

Hat-tricks

N/A

Fastest goal scored

5' 16''- KAGAWA Shinji vs Colombia (2018, group stage)

15' 37'' - Keisuke Honda vs Cote d Ivoire (2014, group stage)

16' 47''- HONDA Keisuke vs Denmark (2010, group stage)

Most clean sheets (GK)

3: KAWASHIMA Eiji (2-2010; 1-2014)

2: NARAZAKI Seigo (2-2002)

Red cards

N/A

Coaches

Most final tournaments

2 - Takeshi Okada, JPN (1998, 2010)

Most matches

7 - Takeshi Okada, JPN (3-1998; 4-2010)

4 - Hajime Moriyasu, JPN (4-2022)

4 - Akira Nishino, JPN (4-2018)

4 - Philippe Troussier, FRA (4-2002)

Most matches won

2 - Hajime Moriyasu, JPN (2-2022)

2 - Takeshi Okada, JPN (2-2010)

2 - Philippe Troussier, FRA (2-2002)

Youngest coach

41y 293d - Takeshi Okada vs Argentina (14/06/1998)

47y 75d - Philippe Troussier vs Belgium (04/06/2002)

53y 101d - Zico vs Australia (12/06/2006)

Oldest coach

63y 86d - Akira Nishino vs Belgium (02/07/2018)

61y 84d - Alberto Zaccheroni vs Colombia (24/06/2014)

54y 104d - Hajime Moriyasu vs Croatia (05/12/2022)

Penalties taken

Min.	Span	Player	Date	Match	Execution	Reason
6'	1H	Shinji Kagawa	19/06/2018	COL vs JPN	scored	Goal

Penalties faced

Min.	Span	Goalkeeper	Opposition player	Team	Date	Match	Execution
22'	1H	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi	Darijo Srna	Croatia	18/06/2006	JPN vs CRO	Saved
81'	2H	Eiji Kawashima	Jon Dahl Tomasson	Denmark	24/06/2010	DEN vs JPN	Saved
17'	1H	Eiji Kawashima	Juan Cuadrado	Colombia	24/06/2014	JPN vs COL	Conceded
33'	1H	Shuichi Gonda	Ilkay Guendogan	Germany	23/11/2022	GER vs JPN	Conceded

Complete World Cup match results

Tournament	Date	Match
1998	14/06/1998	Argentina 1-0 Japan, Group stage (Toulouse-FRA)
1998	20/06/1998	Japan 0-1 Croatia, Group stage (Nantes-FRA)
1998	26/06/1998	Japan 1-2 Jamaica, Group stage (Lyon-FRA)
2002	04/06/2002	Japan 2-2 Belgium, Group stage (Saitama-JPN)
2002	09/06/2002	Japan 1-0 Russia, Group stage (Yokohama-JPN)
2002	14/06/2002	Tunisia 0-2 Japan, Group stage (Osaka-JPN)
2002	18/06/2002	Japan 0-1 Türkiye, Round of 16 (Miyagi-JPN)
2006	12/06/2006	Australia 3-1 Japan, Group stage (Kaiserslautern-GER)
2006	18/06/2006	Japan 0-0 Croatia, Group stage (Nuremberg-GER)
2006	22/06/2006	Japan 1-4 Brazil, Group stage (Dortmund-GER)
2010	14/06/2010	Japan 1-0 Cameroon, Group stage (Mangaung/Bloemfontein-RSA)
2010	19/06/2010	Netherlands 1-0 Japan, Group stage (Durban-RSA)
2010	24/06/2010	Denmark 1-3 Japan, Group stage (Phokeng-RSA)
2010	29/06/2010	Paraguay 0-0 Japan, Round of 16 (Tshwane/Pretoria-RSA) aet (5-3 PSO)
2014	14/06/2014	Cote d Ivoire 2-1 Japan, Group stage (Recife-BRA)
2014	19/06/2014	Japan 0-0 Greece, Group stage (Natal-BRA)
2014	24/06/2014	Japan 1-4 Colombia, Group stage (Cuiaba-BRA)
2018	19/06/2018	Colombia 1-2 Japan, Group stage (Saransk-RUS)
2018	24/06/2018	Japan 2-2 Senegal, Group stage (Ekaterinburg-RUS)
2018	28/06/2018	Japan 0-1 Poland, Group stage (Volgograd-RUS)
2018	02/07/2018	Belgium 3-2 Japan, Round of 16 (Rostov-on-Don-RUS)
2022	23/11/2022	Germany 1-2 Japan, Group stage (Al Rayyan-QAT)
2022	27/11/2022	Japan 0-1 Costa Rica, Group stage (Al Rayyan-QAT)
2022	01/12/2022	Japan 2-1 Spain, Group stage (Al Rayyan-QAT)
2022	05/12/2022	Japan 1-1 Croatia, Round of 16 (Al Wakrah-QAT) aet (1-3 PSO)