Japan national football team head coach Moriyasu Hajime [EPA-Yonhap]
Japan national football team head coach Moriyasu Hajime [EPA-Yonhap]

The Japan Football Association is considering extending the contract of head coach Moriyasu Hajime as the national team continues to impress at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

According to Japanese sports outlet Chunichi Sports on Saturday, the JFA has begun reviewing its coaching options for after the tournament, with retaining Moriyasu listed among the candidates.

Japan was drawn into a group alongside the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia. Despite the challenging lineup, the team finished second in the group with one win and two draws to advance to the round of 32. They opened the tournament on a strong note, holding European powerhouse the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw.

Japan then routed Tunisia 4-0 — the first time an Asian nation has scored four goals in a single World Cup match. Although held to a 1-1 draw by Sweden, the team drew wide praise for dominating the match.

Moriyasu took charge of the national team after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he guided Japan to victories over Germany and Spain in the group stage, finishing first with two wins and one loss to reach the round of 16.

Chunichi Sports praised Moriyasu, saying he "built a squad with real depth without relying on any single player, even as key figures such as Mitoma Kaoru, Minamino Takumi and Endo Wataru were sidelined through injury," and that he "demonstrated clear evolution through meticulous tactical development."

The outlet added that "his ability to unite the entire team and his leadership remained rock solid," and that "winning the ball back immediately after losing it through high-pressure pressing has become Japan's trademark."

Japan faces title contender Brazil in the round of 32 on Tuesday (Korean Standard Time).


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com