On November 23, 2022, the Japan Football Association (JFA) made it official, when it will lead an expedition to Portimao, Portugal, to start a friendly match against the Portuguese U21s.
Japan U21's Head Coach Tsuyoshi Oiwa was thrilled to say, "I am looking forward to playing against a strong team like Portugal after our trip to Spain. I am honored that we have been able to participate in high-intensity matches on a regular basis since the team's inception. The successive matches against strong teams will undoubtedly be a great opportunity to improve the strength of the team. For this reason, I will go all out with the players and make full preparations. I am confident that with these careful preparations, the players' skills will improve significantly and they will seize the opportunity to succeed with increased confidence and accelerated growth."
