Japan captain Wataru Endo retires from international football after injury

Japan captain Wataru Endo has announced his retirement from international football, ending his tenure with the national team just three days before the 2026 World Cup opener against the Netherlands. The Liverpool midfielder was ruled out of the tournament after failing to recover from a foot injury, prompting his replacement in the squad by Borussia Monchengladbach’s Shuto Machino.

Endo, 33, confirmed the decision via social media platform X, stating that while he was frustrated by his inability to play, he harboured no regrets regarding his efforts to regain fitness. He expressed confidence in the team’s future prospects, urging supporters to back Japan as they compete in Group F against the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden.

“I have decided to retire from the national team. From now on, I will be supporting Japan as just another fan,” Endo wrote. He added that he believed Japan would eventually win the World Cup and called for unity among supporters to help achieve that goal during the tournament hosted across North America.

The injury that precipitated his retirement occurred in February while Endo was playing for Liverpool against Sunderland. Although he returned for a friendly match against Iceland in May, he experienced discomfort during pre-World Cup training camps in Mexico and Nashville. Reports indicate he did not participate in full training sessions in Mexico and was unable to reach match fitness following the move to Nashville.

Endo made his debut for Japan in 2015 and retires with 73 caps and four goals. He was a member of the squads for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, contributing to notable victories over Germany and Spain in Qatar. He has captained the side since the Qatar tournament, overseeing a period where the team’s ambitions have expanded to include winning the global title.