Japan has been the big surprise team of the last two World Cups. In 2022, the Samurai Blue defeated Germany and Spain in the group stage. In 2026, Japan aims to build on that performance and reach the semifinals for the first time. The opening match against the Netherlands in Dallas will be a crucial test.

Coach Hajime Moriyasu named three goalkeepers to the Samurai Blue roster: Zion Suzuki, Keisuke Osako, and Tomoki Hayakawa. All three play club soccer in different leagues—from Serie A to the J1 League—and together represent Japan’s growing depth at the goalkeeper position.

At 23, Suzuki is already the undisputed starting goalkeeper for the Samurai Blue. His career path took him from Urawa Red Diamonds to Sint-Truiden and then to Parma, where he established himself as a regular starter in Serie A. In the 2025–26 season, he made 18 league appearances for Parma and posted a save percentage of 70 percent. Suzuki impresses with his calm style of play, strong reading of the game, and quick reflexes—qualities that are ideally suited to Moriyasu’s high-pressing system. For Japan, he is one of the key pillars on the team’s journey to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

Osako has been with Sanfrecce Hiroshima since 2018 and is the team’s starting goalkeeper. In the 2025 J1 League, he played in all 38 games of the season and recorded 15 shutouts—a testament to his consistency in domestic league play. At 26, he brings solid experience from Japanese professional soccer and is Moriyasu’s reliable option behind Suzuki.

Hayakawa is the starting goalkeeper for the Kashima Antlers and won the J1 Championship with the club in 2025. With a FotMob season rating of 7.68 and nine shutouts this season, he is one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the league. For the national team, he is the third-string goalkeeper—and, with one international cap to his name, the most experienced option on the bench.