Japan did not become dangerous overnight.
Before they became one of the most fearless teams in world football, they had to suffer. And no defeat hurt more than the 2022 World Cup loss to Croatia.
That night, Luka Modrić and Croatia exposed everything Japan still lacked: control, composure, experience, and the killer instinct needed to survive knockout football. But instead of breaking them, that loss became the blueprint.
This is the story of how Modrić, Croatia, and one painful World Cup lesson helped turn Japan into a monster. From Takefusa Kubo and Kaoru Mitoma to Wataru Endo, and Zion Suzuki, Japan rebuilt themselves into a team no giant can ignore.
And now, the world is starting to realize: Japan are not underdogs anymore.
JP2021.COM