Japan has secured its place as the first team to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a 2-0 victory over Bahrain at Saitama Stadium on Thursday. Goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo in the second half ensured the Samurai Blue maintained their dominance in Group C of Asia’s qualification preliminaries. Kamada, who came off the bench in the second half, opened the scoring in the 66th minute, providing Japan with the breakthrough. Kubo extended the lead three minutes before the final whistle, sealing the result and reinforcing Japan’s commanding position at the top of the group.
With this win, Japan now leads Group C by nine points over second-placed Australia, which delivered a resounding 5-1 victory over Indonesia in Sydney. The match marked Patrick Kluivert’s debut as head coach of the Indonesian team, but his side struggled against a dominant Australian performance. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was set to face China in Riyadh later on Thursday in the remaining Group C fixture. The outcome of that match could further shape the standings, but Japan’s qualification remains assured.
In Group B, South Korea and Oman played to a 1-1 draw at Goyang Stadium. The result sees South Korea maintain its position at the top of the group with 15 points, while Oman remains in fourth place with seven points. Japan’s qualification underscores its continued strength in Asian football, as it becomes the first nation to officially book a spot at the 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. – By MENA Newswire News Desk.