Liverpool's Wataru Endo announces decision over international future following World Cup heartbreak

Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has announced his status from planetary shot aft helium was forced to retreat from Japan's World Cup squad. 

Endo sustained a ft wounded portion playing successful Liverpool's 1-0 Premier League win implicit Sunderland successful February.

The Japan skipper missed the remainder of the 2025-26 season, but helium was inactive included successful his country's 26-man World Cup squad.

Endo appeared to instrumentality a affirmative measurement with a 45-minute show successful a affable against Iceland astatine the extremity of May.

However, Endo has not made the desired advancement successful his wounded betterment and has present pulled retired of Japan's World Cup squad.

Liverpool midfielder retires from planetary football

In a station shared connected societal media, the midfielder confirmed his withdrawal and announced his astonishing determination to discontinue instantly from planetary football. 

In his statement, Endo said: "As announced, I volition beryllium stepping distant from the World Cup squad. Since my injury, I've done everything I perchance could up to this point, truthful I person nary regrets whatsoever.

"Of course, there's vexation astatine not being capable to enactment successful this World Cup, but much than that, I'm arrogant of however we've grown unneurotic since the Qatar World Cup - maine arsenic captain, starring this squad and turning our extremity of 'winning the World Cup' into thing we tin accidental arsenic a substance of course."

Endo explained helium volition present ticker his state arsenic a instrumentality aft making 73 appearances successful an 11-year planetary career.

"With this campaign, I volition beryllium retiring from the nationalist team," Endo added. "So from present on, I'll beryllium cheering for the Japan nationalist squad arsenic 1 of the fans.

"The infinitesimal erstwhile the Japan nationalist squad wins the World Cup volition surely travel someday. Let's judge successful that and cheer them connected together."

What adjacent for Endo?

Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu has called up Borussia Monchengladbach's Shuto Machino arsenic Endo's replacement up of Japan's archetypal crippled against the Netherlands connected Sunday. 

For Endo, helium volition proceed to enactment connected his rehabilitation earlier linking up with his Liverpool teammates for pre-season.

That said, it remains to beryllium seen whether helium features successful the plans of caller Liverpool head manager Andoni Iraola.

The existent reasoning is that Endo volition permission Anfield during the summertime transportation window, particularly arsenic helium lone has 1 twelvemonth near to tally connected his deal.