Japan’s Wataru Endo retires after injury ends World Cup 2026 dream

Midfielder and skipper quits aft failing to retrieve from ft wounded up of Japan’s crippled against the Netherlands.

Japan’s skipper Wataru Endo has been ruled retired of the World Cup with wounded and has announced his planetary retirement, 3 days earlier his team’s tourney opener against the Netherlands.

The Liverpool midfielder pulled retired of the tourney aft failing to retrieve from a ft injury, and was replaced successful Japan’s squad by Borussia Monchengladbach’s Shuto Machino connected Thursday.

The 33-year-old Endo said connected societal media that helium was “frustrated” astatine not being capable to play but backed his squad to impressment successful Group F, wherever they look the Dutch, Tunisia and Sweden.

“There volition decidedly travel a clip successful the aboriginal erstwhile Japan triumph the World Cup, truthful let’s judge successful that and enactment the team,” helium wrote connected X.

“Let’s bring the spot of Japan unneurotic truthful that that infinitesimal tin hap astatine this tourney successful North America.”

He added: “I person decided to discontinue from the nationalist team. From present on, I volition beryllium supporting Japan arsenic conscionable different fan.”

Endo suffered a season-ending ft wounded playing for Liverpool against Sunderland successful February but returned for Japan successful a 1-0 affable triumph implicit Iceland successful Tokyo connected May 31.

He came disconnected astatine half-time and continued to consciousness discomfort astatine the team’s pre-World Cup campy successful Mexico, wherever helium was not progressive successful immoderate afloat grooming sessions.

He took portion successful grooming erstwhile Japan moved to their World Cup basal successful Nashville connected Monday, but was not capable to get up to velocity successful clip for the tournament.

“I’ve done everything successful my powerfulness since I sustained the injury, truthful I person nary regrets,” said Endo.

“Of course, I’m frustrated that I can’t play astatine this World Cup.

“But much than that, I’m arrogant that I’ve been capable to skipper this squad since the Qatar World Cup and assistance it turn into a radical wherever it feels earthy to accidental our people is to triumph the World Cup.”

Endo made his Japan debut successful 2015 and retires with 73 caps, having scored 4 goals for his country.

He was a subordinate of Japan’s squads for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and played successful their stunning wins implicit Germany and Spain successful Qatar.

[Al Jazeera]