[World Cup]Akira Itakura “I want to take on the role with responsibility and determination” Taking over the captaincy from Wataru Endo, who left the team (June 12, 2026)

The FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be held in three countries for the first time in history, began on the 12th. The Japan Football Association announced that captain Wataru Endo has left the team due to injury. Akira Itakura, who was appointed captain in place of Endo, spoke about his current state of mind. The Japanese national team will play their first match against the Netherlands at 5am on the 15th. The second match will be against Tunisia on the 21st at 1pm, and the third match will be against Sweden on the 26th at 8am.
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