In the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, the Indonesian national team is temporarily ranked 5th in Group C with 3 points. The Japanese team has a great chance to enter the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as it is still at the top of the group with 10 points.
On paper, Japan still has the upper hand over Indonesia with its squad depth and past achievements. They have a series of amazing statistics on the way to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Indonesia will have to work very hard to hope to get a point against their opponents.
Below are four factors that make Japan a formidable opponent for Indonesia, according to Bola.
Good attack, strong defense
Japan is one of the toughest defenses remaining in the 2026 World Cup third qualifying round. Out of the 18 teams present, Japan has only conceded 1 goal in 4 matches.
Japan did not concede a goal in their first three games of the third round, when they defeated China (7-0), Bahrain (2-0) and Saudi Arabia (2-0). It was not until the 1-1 draw with Australia that Japan's defence was breached, with defender Shogo Taniguchi scoring an own goal.
Japan is not only strong in defense, but also very sharp in penetrating the opponent's goal.
They have scored 15 goals against their opponents after only 4 matches. Hajime Moriyasu's team has scored an average of 3.75 goals per match. Therefore, the Indonesian team must be ready to face Japan's solid defense and sharp attack.
There are many excellent players
In the latest squad announced by Hajime Moriyasu, there are 20 players from the Japanese national team who are playing for European clubs. They are spread out to compete in the national championships of Italy, England, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Scotland.
Some of the stars of the Japanese national team include Wataru Endo, who plays for Liverpool. Takefusa Kubo plays for Real Sociedad, Takumi Minamino plays for AS Monaco, Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton or Zion Suzuki of Parma...
In addition to playing well in domestic tournaments, Japanese national team stars also regularly play and contribute a lot in the Europa League and Champions League.
The Mark of Hajime Moriyasu
The progress and stability of the Japanese national team cannot be separated from the role of coach Hajime Moriyasu. Under his guidance, Japan has become one of the strongest teams in Asia.
Moriyasu led the Japanese national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they topped Group E ahead of Spain, Germany and dark horse Costa Rica. However, Japan were eliminated in the round of 16 after losing to Croatia on penalties.
Moriyasu is considered an intelligent coach with a clear philosophy of play. In the 4 matches in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, Japan played with a 3-4-2-1 formation. In the way Japan plays, the central midfielder duo and 2 wingers play a very important role.
In total, Moriyasu led the Japanese team in 86 matches, winning 60 matches, scoring 215 goals, conceding 64 goals, achieving 2.21 points/match.
World Cup regulars
The Japanese national team has improved over the years, they first participated in the World Cup in 1998 and since then have always been present at the number 1 tournament on the planet. By the end of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, the Japanese team has participated in the World Cup 7 times in a row.
Japan have reached the round of 16 four times, including at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated by Croatia.
The 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada is in Japan's sights. They only need to win 2 or 3 more matches to qualify for their 8th consecutive World Cup.
