At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Japan left a deep impression on countless fans. Although they were in the "Group of Death", Japan did not get discouraged. They beat Germany and Spain, two world champions in a row, and finally entered the knockout rounds with the first group, becoming the complete "Light of Asia"!
Unfortunately for Japan, they were unable to continue their good form from the group stage in the subsequent knockout stage. They lost to Croatia through penalty kicks with a total score of 2-4, and once again regretted stopping in the round of 16. The top 16 of the World Cup seems to have become an insurmountable mountain for Japanese soccer. They have tried to break through this barrier many times, but have not gotten what they wanted. Even though they have never been in the top 8 of the World Cup, many Japanese soccer players still dream of winning the World Cup. Not long ago, Japan's head coach, Mori Boichi, made this goal public in person!
Recently, Mori Boichi was invited by a friend to give a sports lecture in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. During this time, Morihoichi said:Â "We beat Germany and Spain in the World Cup, but we lost to Croatia on penalties, which was really disappointing. I think we can go further. In the next World Cup we will aim higher. We want to be the best team in the world. We will fight for the title at the 2026 World Cup!"
Many fans scoffed at Morihoichi's statement. While Japan may be the dominant team in Asia, they are still a second-rate team in the world. Although Japan beat Germany and Spain in the World Cup, it could only be attributed to "luck". In both games, they were crushed by their opponents, and all of their stats were completely crushed. The fact that they were able to win in the cold had to do with the fact that Germany and Spain were so lightly beaten.
However, for Chinese soccer, Japan's achievements are enough to make us envious. While the 2026 World Cup will be expanded, Asia's quota for the tournament will increase to 8.5. However, the Chinese men's soccer team can only hope for a miracle if they want to advance. Because in Asia, our competitors include not only traditional powerhouses such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, but also Qatar, Uzbekistan, Oman, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. No matter who the national soccer team meets, I'm afraid the result will be bad.
Hopefully, the Chinese men's soccer team can learn from the Japanese team, find the right path, and walk unswervingly, and I believe that we will be able to gain something in the near future!
