Wataru Endo retires from Japan national team due to injury

Japan national team captain Wataru Endo has made a surprise decision. The Liverpool midfielder announced that due to a chronic injury, he will not be included in the 2026 World Cup squad and is retiring from international football entirely. Unable to recover in time for the tournament in North America, the player decided to make way for the youth. This is reported by Goal.com reports .

The 33-year-old suffered a serious leg injury in February during a Premier League match against Sunderland. Since then, he has undergone a long rehabilitation process. Although he returned to the bench for Liverpool's final game of the season, it became clear after joining the national team camp that he was not ready to play at the highest level.

In his statement, Endo emphasized that leaving the national team was difficult, but he believes in the team's future. "I did everything I could to return after the injury, so I have no regrets. It is painful that I cannot participate in the World Cup, but I am proud of how much our team has grown since the tournament in Qatar," said the midfielder.

The former Stuttgart player stated that he will now become a regular fan of the Japan national team. He called on his teammates to stay strong and urged the Japanese people to unite around the team. Endo added that he believes Japan will eventually become World Champions one day.