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Japan national under-23 football team

National association football team

National association football team

FieldValue
NameJapan U-23
BadgeJapanese Olympic Committee logo.svg
Badge_size180px
FIFA TrigrammeJPN
NicknameOlympic Japan
AssociationJFA
Sub-confederationEAFF
ConfederationAFC
CoachGo Oiwa
Most capsMao Hosoya
(35)
Top scorerShoya Nakajima (19)
pattern_la1_jap26h
pattern_b1_jap26h
pattern_ra1_jap26h
pattern_sh1_jap26h2
pattern_so1_jap26hl
leftarm1001040
body1001040
rightarm1001040
shorts1001040
socks1001040
pattern_la2_jap24ao
pattern_b2_jap24ao
pattern_ra2_jap24ao
pattern_sh2_jap24a
pattern_so2_jap24al
leftarm2FFFFFF
body2FFFFFF
rightarm2FFFFFF
shorts2FFFFFF
socks2FFFFFF
First game1–1
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; December 1990)
Largest win13–0
(Hong Kong; 12 June 1999)
Largest loss6–1
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6 February 1994)
Regional nameOlympic Games
Regional cup apps8
Regional cup first1996
Regional cup bestFourth place (2012, 2020)
2ndRegional nameAsian Games
2ndRegional cup apps7
2ndRegional cup first2002
2ndRegional cup best[[File:Gold medal asia.svg16px]] Gold medalists (2010)
3rdRegional nameAFC U-23 Asian Cup
3rdRegional cup apps7
3rdRegional cup first2013
3rdRegional cup best[[File:Gold medal asia.svg16px]] Champions (2016, 2024, 2026)
Note

the men's team

| Sub-confederation = EAFF (35) (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; December 1990) (Hong Kong; 12 June 1999) (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 6 February 1994) The Japan national under-23 football team () is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The team won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, and the U-20 team, made up of university students and domestic league players, won the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup for the second consecutive year. Since 1992, it was decided that teams targeting athletes under the age of 23 will participate in the Olympics (additional provisions for overage limits have been added since 1996). Therefore, the name changes to Japan national under-22 football team the year before the Olympics and Japan national under-21 football team two years prior. The exception to this was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed one year, so in 2021, the team was called the Japan national under-24 football team. At the 2024 Olympics, they advanced to the Knockout stage without three overage players and several key players.

Team image

Nicknames

"サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue)" basically refers to the Japan national football team, but the under-23 football team are sometimes referred to as "Young" Samurai Blue. However, in reality, Samurai Blue is not often used. In the Olympic Games, the name Olympíc Japan "オリンピックジャパン (Orinpikku Japan)" is used to referred to U-23 national team.

Rivalries

South Korea

Main article: Japan–South Korea football rivalry

Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea, even in youth set-ups.

Results and fixtures

Main article: Japan national under-23 football team results

;Legend

2025

U-22

  • Khadhari
  • Nwadike
  • Yada
  • Inoue
  • Shinkawa
  • Yasuno
  • Shimamoto
  • Inoue

U-23

2026

  • Al-Fakhouri
  • Ozeki
  • Satō
  • Ishibashi
  • Michiwaki
  • Nwadike
  • Ozeki
  • Furuya
  • Furuya
  • Satō
  • Al-Khob
  • Azaizeh
  • Ichihara
  • Michiwaki
  • Satō
  • Kawai
  • Taha
  • Fraij
  • Al-Fakhouri
  • Al-Shatti
  • Koizumi
  • Ozeki
  • Ogura
  • Satō

Head-to-head record

Current squad

The following U-22 players were called up on 29 August 2025 for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification matches, held on September.

Recent call-ups

The following players were called up to an U-23, U-22 or U-21 squad in the past 12 months.

INJ Withdrew due to injury

PRE Preliminary squad / standby

TRP Training partner

WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

(Players are listed within position group by order of latest call-up, seniority, caps, goals, and then alphabetically)

Previous squads

:Bold indicates winning squads ;Olympic Games

Overaged players in the Olympic Games

TournamentPlayer 1Player 2Player 3
not selected
Seigo Narazaki (GK)Ryuzo Morioka (DF)Atsuhiro Miura (MF)
Hitoshi Sogahata (GK)Shinji Ono (MF)not selected
not selected
Maya Yoshida (DF)Yūhei Tokunaga (DF)not selected
Hiroki Fujiharu (DF)Tsukasa Shiotani (DF)Shinzo Koroki (FW)
Maya Yoshida (DF)Hiroki Sakai (DF)Wataru Endo (MF)
not selected

Manager history

NamePeriod
JPN Yoshitada Yamaguchi1990–1992
JPN Akira Nishino1993–1996
FRA Philippe Troussier1998–2000
JPN Masakuni Yamamoto2002–2004
JPN Yasuharu Sorimachi2006–2008
JPN Takashi Sekizuka2010–2012
JPN Makoto Teguramori2014–2016
JPN Hajime Moriyasu2017–2020
JPN Akinobu Yokouchi2020
JPN Hajime Moriyasu2020–2021
JPN Koichi Togashi2021
JPN Go Oiwa2021–present

Records

: :Players in bold are still active, at least at club level. :Caps and goals are calculated taking into account all national team levels, including U21, U22, and U23.

Most capped players

#NameCapsGoalsPosCareer
1Mao Hosoya3516FW2021–2024
2Kein Sato338MF2021–2024
3Keigo Higashi315MF2010–2012
Kensuke Nagai3113FW2009–2012
Reo Hatate318MF2017–2021
6Shoya Nakajima3019FW2014–2016
7Hotaru Yamaguchi291MF2010–2012
8Kazuya Yamamura261DF2010–2012
Hiroki Sakai263DF2011–2021
10Daisuke Matsui252MF2002–2004

Top goalscorers

#NameGoalsCapsRatioCareer
1Shoya Nakajima19300.632014–2016
2Mao Hosoya16352021–2024
3Kensuke Nagai13310.422009–2012
4Ayase Ueda12240.52017–2021
5Daizen Maeda9180.52018–2021
6Reo Hatate8310.262017–2021
Kein Sato8332021–2024
7Musashi Suzuki7100.72014–2016
Takefusa Kubo7180.392018–2021
Yuito Suzuki7200.352021–2023

Competitive record

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place

Olympic Games

Main article: Japan at the Olympics

Summer Olympics recordQualification recordYearRoundPositionPldWDLGFGAPldWDLGFGALinkTotalFourth place8/93215413454060465917332Link
1908–1988See Japan national teamSee Japan national team
Spain 1992Did not qualify116142211Link
United States 1996Group stage9th3201449711256Link
Australia 2000Quarter-finals5th421165121200663Link
Greece 2004Group stage13th3102678611192Link
China 2008Group stage15th30031412921244Link
United Kingdom 2012Fourth place4th6312658602176Link
Brazil 2016Group stage10th311177via AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Japan 2020Fourth place4th631285
France 2024Quarter-finals5th430173

Match history

Summer Olympics historyYearRoundOpponentScoreResult
1996Group stage1–0Win
0–2Loss
3–2Win
2000Group stage2–1Win
2–1Win
0–1Loss
Quarter-finals2–2
4–5Draw
Loss
2004Group stage3–4Loss
2–3Loss
1–0Win
2008Group stage0–1Loss
1–2Loss
0–1Loss
2012Group stage1–0Win
1–0Win
0–0Draw
Quarter-finals3–0Win
Semi-finals1–3Loss
Bronze Play-off0–2Loss
2016Group stage4–5Loss
2–2Draw
1–0Win
2020Group stage1–0Win
2–1Win
4–0Win
Quarter-finals0–0
4–2Draw
Win
Semi-finals0–1Loss
Bronze Play-off1–3Loss
2024Group stage5–0Win
1–0Win
1–0Win
Quarter-finals0–3Loss

AFC U-23 Asian Cup

AFC U-23 Asian Cup recordQualifier recordYearResultPositionGPWDLGSGAGPWDLGSGATotal7/73 Titles3524566826222110886
OMA 2013Quarter-finals7th4121855500202
QAT 2016Champions1st66001543300100
CHN 2018Quarter-finals5th4301553300112
THA 2020Group stage15th3012353300210
UZB 2022Third place3rd6411113220080
QAT 2024Champions1st6501103321070
KSA 2026Champions1st65101613300112

Match history

AFC U-23 Asian Cup historyYearRoundOpponentScoreResult
2013Group stage3–3Draw
0–0Draw
4–0Win
Quarter-finals0–1Loss
2016Group stage1–0Win
4–0Win
2–1Win
Quarter-finals3–0Win
Semi-finals2–1Win
Final3–2Win
2018Group stage1–0Win
1–0Win
3–1Win
Quarter-finals0–4Loss
2020Group stage1–2Loss
1–2Loss
1–1Draw
2022Group stage2–1Win
0–0Draw
3–0Win
Quarter-finals3–0Win
Semi-finals0–2Loss
3rd place match3–0Win
2024Group stage1–0Win
2–0Win
0–1Loss
Quarter-finals4–2Win
Semi-finals2–0Win
Final1–0Win
2026Group stage5–0Win
3–0Win
2–0Win
Quarter-finals1–1
4–2Draw
Win
Semi-finals1–0Win
Final4–0Win

Asian Games

Main article: Japan at the Asian Games

Asian Games recordHosts / YearResultPositionGPWDLGSGATotal7/73427077322
KOR 200226501134
QAT 2006Round 111320154
CHN 201017700171
KOR 2014Quarter-finals65302105
IDN 201827502104
CHN 202226501184
JPN 2026
QAT 2030
KSA 2034

Match history

Asian Games historyYearRoundOpponentScoreResult
2002Round 12–0Win
5–2Win
1–0Win
Quarter-finals1–0Win
Semi-finals3–0Win
Final1–2Loss
2006Round 13–2Win
1–0Win
1–2Loss
2010Round 13–0Win
2–0Win
3–0Win
Round 25–0Win
Quarter-finals1–0Win
Semi-finals2–1Win
Final1–0Win
2014Round 14–1Win
1–3Loss
4–0Win
Round 24–0Win
Quarter-finals0–1Loss
2018Round 11–0Win
4–0Win
0–1Loss
Round 21–0Win
Quarter-finals2–1Win
Semi-finals1–0Win
Final1–2Loss
2022Round 13–1Win
1–0Win
Round 27–0Win
Quarter-finals2–1Win
Semi-finals4–0Win
Final1–2Loss

References

References

  1. Hyung-Jin Yoon. (6 May 2006). "Japan - International Results U-23 (Olympic) Team [Malaysia (1) – Japan (1)]". RDFC.
  2. (29 August 2025). "U-22 Japan National Team squad & schedule - AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Qualifiers (8/30-9/11＠Yangon, Myanmar)".
  3. (16 December 2021). "Mr. OIWA Go appointed as Head Coach of U-21 Japan National Team". [[Japan Football Association.
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