Japan Captain Endo Ruled Out of World Cup Due to Injury, Announces International Retirement

Japan national football team captain Wataru Endo (33, Liverpool) will not be able to compete in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup after failing to overcome a left foot injury.

Masakuni Yamamoto, the technical director of the Japan Football Association, announced Endo's withdrawal from the national team during a press conference held today (June 12) at the Japan team's base camp in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Prior to Yamamoto's announcement, head coach Hajime Moriyasu made the decision to remove Endo from the squad based on reports from the medical staff, and Endo left the base camp immediately.

Shuto Machino (Borussia Mönchengladbach) has been selected as a replacement for Endo, and defender Ko Itakura (Ajax) will take over the captain's armband.

Endo, who can play as both a defensive midfielder and a center-back, debuted professionally with Shonan Bellmare in the J.League in 2010. After a stint with Urawa Red Diamonds, he moved to Europe in 2018 to join Sint-Truiden in Belgium.

After transferring to Stuttgart (Germany) in 2019, Endo entered the big leagues and has been playing for Liverpool in the English Premier League (EPL) since August 2023, where he has been active for three seasons.

Endo, who has earned 73 caps (4 goals) for the national team, did not get a chance to play in the 2018 Russia tournament, but he was a key player in the 2022 Qatar tournament, appearing in all three group stage matches and the round of 16 match.

Endo suffered a ligament injury to his left instep during a match against Sunderland on February 11 and underwent surgery. He focused on rehabilitation and returned for a friendly match against Iceland on May 31, holding out hope for the North and Central America World Cup, but he was ultimately unable to recover in time.

According to Japan's Nikkan Sports, Endo continued individual training during the pre-tournament camp in Monterrey, Mexico, which began on June 2. Even after arriving at the base camp in Nashville, USA, he only partially joined team training and did not appear at practice on June 11.

Endo shared his thoughts and announced his retirement from the national team through his social media.

He stated, "I have done everything I could since my injury, so I have no regrets," adding, "I am proud that after the Qatar World Cup, I was able to lead the team as captain and help it grow into a squad that could talk about winning the World Cup."

He concluded his message by saying, "I have decided to retire from the national team after this call-up. From now on, I will support the team as a fan. I hope everyone gives their all without any regrets!"

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.