Sport: Soccer Country: Japan Category: Injuries

Japan's captain Wataru Endo withdraws from World Cup due to injury

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 11, 2026, 6:34 PM

Last updated Jun 11, 2026

Japan's captain Wataru Endo withdraws from World Cup due to injury

Summary

Japan is facing another setback ahead of the World Cup as captain Wataru Endo has been forced to withdraw due to an injury. This news comes as the team already contends with the absence of star player Kaoru Mitoma. Shuto Machino will replace Endo on the squad. The loss of Endo is significant, impacting both leadership on and off the field.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Status Watch

•Wataru Endo withdraws from World Cup because of injury.
•Shuto Machino replaces him in the squad.
•Japan also missing key player Kaoru Mitoma.
•Endo's absence affects team leadership.

Latest Updates

6:34 PMYahoo Sports — 🚨 World Cup: this dark horse’s captain pulls out!

What they're saying

"
Another key player is down.With Japan already having to cope without its star Kaoru Mitoma, another piece of very bad news has hit the Japanese national team.According to Fabrizio Romano, captain Wata...
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

Soccer