Japan becomes the first team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 win over Bahrain, securing their spot in the tournament for the 8th consecutive time

Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama on Thursday to become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and extend their run of successive appearances at the finals to eight.The 2026 tournament will be staged in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and is the first to have a field of 48 teams, up from

SAITAMA: Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday (Mar 20) as South Korea were held but still inched closer along with a rampant Australia Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to give Japan a 2-0 home win over Bahrain and secure their

Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday as South Korea were held but still inched closer along with a rampant Australia. Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to give Japan a 2-0 home win over Bahrain and take their…

Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday as Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo struck in the second half to earn Hajime Moriyasu's side a 2-0 win over Bahrain at Saitama Stadium and confirm their place at next year's finals.Crystal Palace midfielder Kamada came off the bench

Japan secures World Cup spot with victory over Bahrain, aiming to win remaining games and grow as a team.

Japan became the first nation to book a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after securing a 2-0 victory over Bahrain on Thursday. Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo sealed the win, ensuring Japan’s eighth consecutive World Cup appearance. Despite a slow start on a chilly evening in Saitama, the Group C […]

SAITAMA, Japan (AP) — Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after beating Bahrain 2-0 at Saitama Stadium on Thursday.Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo ensured the Samurai Blue secured a spot in Asia Group C's top two automatic qualification places.At its eighth successive World Cup, Japan joins co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico in the expanded 48-team tournament.Earlier, second-placed Australia took a big step towards a seventh appearance by defeating Indonesia 5-1 in Sydney in the visitor's first game under new coach Patrick Kluivert.Indonesia's Kevin Diks missed a penalty in the eighth minute, and 10 minutes later Martin Boyle made no mistake with his spot kick to put the Socceroos ahead.Nishan Velupillay and Jackson Irvine scored before the break and Lewis Miller made it 4-0 on the hour. Ole Romeny pulled one back for Indonesia before Irvine grabbed his second and the hosts' fifth.The top two from each of the three six-team groups in the third round…