Japan national football team sets Kirin Cup fixtures vs Uruguay, Ecuador, Panama and New Zealand

The Japan national football team (Samurai Blue) will play Uruguay in Miyagi on 24 September as part of the Kirin Challenge Cup 2026, with the match broadcast live on national TV and streamed online. Earlier in October, the team will compete in the Kirin Cup 2026 knockout tournament: a first‑round match against Ecuador on 1 October at Yokohama International Stadium, followed by a semi‑final on 5 October against either Panama or New Zealand at the National Stadium, depending on earlier results. Coach Hajime Moriyasu highlighted the games as valuable preparation for the upcoming World Cup.

In club news, Japanese forward Daizen Maeda, who joined England’s Ipswich Town after a stint at Celtic, met his national‑team teammate Ayumu Seko of French side Lille during a training session before a league match. The reunion was described by Maeda as “emotional” and drew attention from fans as a sign of the Samurai Blue’s growing bond abroad.