Wataru Endo

Wataru Endo is Japan's captain and a defensive midfielder in their final 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, named in the squad announced on 15 May 2026 under head coach Hajime Moriyasu. The Liverpool midfielder is 33 at kick-off and brings 72 senior caps and 4 international goals into the tournament, having captained the national team since 2023.

Japan are in Group F with the Netherlands, Sweden and Tunisia, opening against the Netherlands at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on 14 June. The team qualified by winning their AFC group in March 2025, and Endo leads a side heading into its third straight World Cup, with 72 caps making him one of the squad's most experienced players and a long-serving presence in midfield.

Endo is a combative defensive midfielder, valued as a ball-winner, with high ball-recovery and tackle numbers as the core of his game. He screens in front of the defence, breaks up opposition moves, and keeps possession ticking with reliable passing once he has won the ball back.

As Japan's captain since 2023, he sets the tone in midfield. His four international goals in 72 caps are not the point of his game; the value is the protection and ball-winning he gives the side from a holding role.

Endo gives Japan's midfield base on the card a captain's ball-winning: the high recovery and tackle numbers of a combative defensive midfielder who screens in front of the defence. Japan's £17m places them in Tier 3, within the game's £200m card budget.

His ball-winning is what the slot rests on when he plays, the control that protects the side from deep, breaking up play and recycling possession as captain through the group stage.