Veteran Japanese defender Yuto Nagatomo has stated that Japan is steadily closing the gap on five-time world champions Brazil, ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash. Speaking to Kyodo News, the 39-year-old fullback said Japan's rate of improvement over the past two decades has surpassed Brazil's.
Nagatomo on Japan's progress
Nagatomo, who has played in five World Cups, expressed confidence in Japan's development. "If we're talking about these past 10, 20 years, I think Japan have upped their level more than Brazil have," he told Kyodo News. "It's not whether Brazil have upped theirs or not, I simply believe that our margin of improvement is bigger. I've felt we're closing the gap on them."
The former Inter Milan star made these remarks as the team departed their base camp near Nashville, Tennessee, which he described as the most comfortable camp he has experienced in his five World Cup appearances.
Lessons from 2018 World Cup exit
Nagatomo also reflected on Japan's dramatic Round of 16 exit to Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where the Samurai Blue squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2. "We just relied on our momentum against Belgium," he recalled. "Even when we were 2-0 up, we kept going forward and no one was trying to see the game out. There wasn't anyone speaking out either."
He emphasized that game management and composure are crucial for deep tournament runs. "In that sense, you need smartness and calmness and guile as well I suppose to go deep in tournaments. You need to know how you want the game to play out, whether to finish it in 90 minutes or go to extra time and penalties. Having that uniform idea within the team is extremely important," he said.
Historic milestone for Nagatomo
Nagatomo created history on June 25, 2026, by becoming the first Asian player to feature in five FIFA World Cups during Japan's Group F match against Sweden at Dallas Stadium. He previously appeared in the 2010 South Africa, 2014 Brazil, 2018 Russia, and 2022 Qatar tournaments, making him one of the most enduring figures in international football. He is also only the 10th player in history to play in five or more World Cup editions, joining an elite list that includes Lionel Messi (6 editions), Cristiano Ronaldo (6 editions), Luka Modric, Luis Suarez, Manuel Neuer, Lothar Matthaus, Andres Guardado, Rafael Marquez, and Antonio Carbajal.
Brazil's group stage dominance
Brazil finished first in Group C, extending their remarkable record of topping their World Cup group for a 12th consecutive tournament. The five-time champions have finished first in their group at every World Cup since 1982, maintaining an extraordinary 44-year streak of group-stage dominance.
