Wataru Endo Retires From Japan Duty After World Cup Injury Blow

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has announced his retirement from international football after being ruled out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup through injury.

Wataru Endo, 33, confirmed he would withdraw from Japan’s squad for the tournament after failing to recover from a foot injury sustained earlier this year. The setback brings an end to a distinguished international career that saw him earn 73 caps and score four goals for Japan.

In a statement released on Friday, Endo said he had exhausted every possible avenue in a bid to be fit for the competition.

“As announced, I will be stepping away from the World Cup squad,” he said earlier today, June 12.

“Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever.

“Of course, there’s frustration at not being able to participate in this World Cup, but more than that, I’m proud of how we’ve grown together since the Qatar World Cup, me as captain, leading this team and turning our goal of ‘winning the World Cup’ into something we can say as a matter of course.

“The current team is truly wonderful.

“I believe they will overcome any adversity and show us sights we’ve never seen before.”

Endo also confirmed that the World Cup withdrawal would mark the end of his time with the national team.

“With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team,” he said.

“So from here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans.

“The moment when the Japan national team wins the World Cup will surely come someday.

“Let’s believe in that and cheer them on together.”

The former VfB Stuttgart midfielder represented Japan at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and was also included in the squad for the 2018 tournament, although he did not feature during that campaign.

While the injury has denied him a final appearance on football’s biggest stage, Endo leaves the international scene as one of Japan’s most respected leaders, having captained the side during a period of growing ambition and consistency.

Naija News reports that Japan begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in a Group F clash on Sunday.