The roster for the Japanese national team, South Korea's biggest rival in its pursuit of a fourth consecutive men's football title at the Asian Games, has been finalized.

The Japan Football Association (JFA) announced today (July 31) the 23 players selected for the men's national football team to compete in the 2026 Asian Games, which will be held in Aichi and Nagoya next September.

In the Asian Games, men's football limits participating players to those aged 23 or younger (U-23), similar to the Olympics.

Instead, each team can select up to three players aged 24 or older as wildcards.

However, Japan filled its national team exclusively with players aged 21 or younger (U-21), two years below the age limit.

They also chose not to select any wildcards.

Four overseas-based players were included: defender Leon Ichihara (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), defender Keita Kosugi (Frankfurt, Germany), midfielder Nelson Ishiwatari (Sint-Truiden, Belgium), and forward Uche Bryan Seio Nwadike (Aalborg, Denmark).

Players from Japan's professional J.League form the core with 16 members, alongside three university players.

Japan composing its Asian Games squad with players aged 21 and under is to prepare for the Los Angeles (LA) Olympics to be held two years later in 2028, and this is not the first time.

The current Japan U-21 national team is led by coach Go Oiwa, who will concurrently serve as the head coach for both the Olympic national team and the senior national team starting next March.

Coach Oiwa took the helm of the Japan U-21 national team in December 2021 and secured qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning the 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup.

At the Paris Olympics, he led the team to the quarterfinals without any wildcards, and last January, he also led the U-21 national team to achieve consecutive tournament victories at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup.

Japan is aiming for its first Asian Games victory in 16 years since the 2010 Guangzhou tournament.

Unlike Japan, the South Korean Asian Games national team led by coach Lee Min-sung is composed mostly of players aged 23 and under as they attempt to win the gold medal for the fourth consecutive time.

Coach Lee selected nine European-based players, including Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City), Yang Min-hyeok (Tottenham), and Kim Ji-soo (Brentford), along with 14 K-League players.

He also utilized all three wildcard spots to select Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic), Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City), and Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon).

South Korea achieved three consecutive victories at the Asian Games from the 2014 Incheon tournament to the 2022 Hangzhou tournament held in 2023.

At both the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang tournament and the Hangzhou tournament, South Korea defeated Japan in the finals.

At those times as well, Japan fielded teams centered around players two years younger than the age limit.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)