Japan Becomes First Nation To Qualify For Men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup with Victory Over Bahrain
Japan become the first nation to qualify for the men’s FIFA World Cup 2026 after defeating Bahrain 2-0 on Thursday, March 20, 2025. This victory not only marks Japan’s eighth consecutive appearance at the World Cup but also secures their place in the third round of Asian qualifiers.
The match saw a strong performance from the Japanese team, with second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo sealing the win. Japan’s consistent success in international football has been evident, as they reached the Round of 16 in the last two World Cups and first qualified for the tournament in 1998, just four years before co-hosting the event with the Republic of Korea.
Thursday’s win guarantees Japan one of the two automatic qualifying spots in Group C of the Asian qualifiers. Impressively, they have achieved this feat with three games still remaining, making them the first non-host nation to secure a place in the prestigious tournament, joining co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will see at least eight teams represented in the expanded 48-team World Cup next year. Five more nations can join Japan in the upcoming qualifiers, which are currently in the third round and consist of three groups with six teams each.
Australia is also in a strong position in Group C, while in Group A, the Islamic Republic of Iran leads, followed by Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. Group B is topped by the Republic of Korea, ahead of Iraq and Jordan.
The qualifying matches will continue this month, concluding in June. Following this round, a fourth phase will take place, comprising two groups of three teams, with the winners of each group also earning a spot in the 2026 World Cup. Additionally, there remains the possibility of a ninth Asian team qualifying through inter-confederation play-offs involving teams from Africa, South America, Oceania, and North America.
