Japan’s 2026 World Cup showing sparks criticism of Asian teams' results

The 2026 FIFA World Cup expanded to 48 teams, with nine Asian nations qualifying. Only Japan and Australia progressed to the knockout stage; Japan fell to Brazil in the round of 32, leaving Australia as the sole Asian representative.

The British newspaper The Guardian called Japan a model side but labelled the overall Asian performance "disastrous," criticizing Iran for being unfairly treated and stating that Saudi Arabia and South Korea should have achieved better results. It noted that seven of the nine Asian teams were eliminated in the group stage, and argued that Iran was effectively a near‑miss for the knockout round.

The Guardian’s analysis highlighted Japan’s early energy, technique and determination against Brazil, followed by a loss of intensity and a defensive lapse that led to the defeat, underscoring broader concerns about the competitiveness of Asian squads at the tournament.