Japan has secured its place in the FIFA World Cup for the eighth consecutive time.
The Asian powerhouse claimed a well-expected victory over Bahrain at home, ensuring their ticket to the 2026 World Cup. With this, Japan became the first team to qualify for the tournament through the qualifiers.
In the third round of the Asian qualifiers, Japan defeated Bahrain 2-0 on Thursday with two second-half goals.
The 48-team World Cup is set to take place in June and July next year, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Along with the three host nations, Japan has now secured its place in the tournament.
This marks Japan’s eighth consecutive appearance in the World Cup.
With three matches still remaining in the qualifiers, Japan has already booked its ticket. They sit atop Group C with 19 points from seven matches, having won six and drawn one. Australia is second in the group with 10 points from the same number of matches.
In the third round of the Asian qualifiers, teams are divided into three groups. The top two teams from each group will qualify directly for the World Cup. Meanwhile, the third- and fourth-placed teams from all three groups will move on to the fourth round, where they will be split into two groups. The winners of these groups will also secure direct qualification. The two runners-up will then battle it out in the fifth round, with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation playoffs for a final shot at World Cup qualification.
