Japan national under-23 football team

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

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

Results and fixtures

Legend

2026

Fixtures & Results (2026)

Head-to-head record , after the match against Uzbekistan.

The following table shows Japan under-23 team's all-time international record.

AgainstPlayedWonDrawnLostGFGAGDConfederation 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 AFC 11 5 0 6 20 15 +5 AFC 3 1 1 1 6 2 +4 AFC 2 2 0 0 6 0 +6 AFC 9 5 0 4 14 5 +9 AFC 4 4 0 0 15 1 +14 AFC 8 7 0 1 21 4 +17 AFC 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 AFC 3 3 0 0 10 3 +7 AFC 5 2 2 1 10 7 +3 AFC 4 2 1 2 6 6 0 AFC 3 0 3 0 4 4 0 AFC 6 4 2 0 21 3 +18 AFC 2 2 0 0 10 0 +10 AFC 2 2 0 0 6 1 +5 AFC 3 3 0 0 21 0 +21 AFC 17 13 4 0 47 7 +40 AFC 4 4 0 0 25 1 +24 AFC 5 5 0 0 21 0 +21 AFC 5 4 0 1 8 4 +4 AFC 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 AFC 3 3 0 0 13 2 +11 AFC 6 6 0 0 11 1 +10 AFC 3 3 0 0 32 0 +32 AFC 9 6 2 1 14 7 +7 AFC 8 6 1 1 14 7 +7 AFC 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 AFC 22 7 3 12 27 25 +2 AFC 3 2 0 1 7 2 +5 AFC 1 1 0 0 3 0 +3 AFC 11 10 0 1 29 3 +26 AFC 2 2 0 0 7 0 +7 AFC 8 6 1 1 13 2 +11 AFC 5 2 1 2 4 7 –3 AFC 5 4 0 1 9 1 +8 AFC 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 CAF 6 2 1 3 2 8 –6 CAF 4 3 0 1 11 2 +9 CAF 3 1 1 1 3 4 -1 CAF 3 3 0 0 7 2 +5 CAF 3 0 0 3 5 9 –4 CAF 3 3 0 0 6 1 +5 CAF 3 1 0 2 4 6 –2 CAF 1 0 0 1 0 1 –1 CONCACAF 4 1 2 1 5 4 +1 CONCACAF 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 CONCACAF 2 2 0 0 13 0 +13 CONCACAF 5 2 1 2 10 10 0 CONCACAF 6 1 2 3 7 11 –4 CONCACAF 4 3 0 1 9 3 +6 CONMEBOL 5 2 2 1 6 5 +1 CONMEBOL 1 1 0 0 6 1 +5 CONMEBOL 2 0 1 1 2 4 –2 CONMEBOL 1 0 0 1 0 1 –1 CONMEBOL 2 1 0 1 8 4 +4 CONMEBOL 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 CONMEBOL 1 0 0 1 2 3 –1 UEFA 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 UEFA 2 0 1 1 1 6 –5 UEFA 3 2 1 0 4 1 +3 UEFA 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 UEFA 3 0 1 2 3 7 –4 UEFA 2 1 1 0 5 1 +4 UEFA 3 1 1 1 9 5 +4 UEFA 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 UEFA 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1 UEFA 2 2 0 0 5 1 +4 UEFA 2 0 1 1 0 1 –1 UEFA 1 0 0 1 2 3 –1 UEFA 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 UEFA 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 UEFA 5 2 2 1 7 5 +2 UEFA 5 1 1 3 2 7 –5 UEFA 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 UEFA 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 UEFA 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 UEFA 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 UEFA 4 2 2 0 9 1 +8 OFCAgainst:78 NationsPlayed:287Won:175Drawn:43Lost:69GFGAGDConfederation

Coaching staff As of 31 July 2026.

RoleName Head coach Go Oiwa Assistant coach Kenji Haneda Shigeyuki Ochi Goalkeeper coach Yohei Sato Physical coach Yoshiharu Yano Technical staff Shohei Waki Haruto Hayama

Players

Current squad The following U-21 players were called up on 31 July 2026 for the 2026 Asian Games, held between September and October.

Previous squads Bold indicates winning squads

Olympic Games 1996 Summer Olympics Squad 2000 Summer Olympics Squad 2004 Summer Olympics Squad 2008 Summer Olympics Squad 2012 Summer Olympics Squad 2016 Summer Olympics Squad 2020 Summer Olympics Squad 2024 Summer Olympics Squad AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2013 AFC U-22 Championship Squad 2016 AFC U-23 Championship Squad 2018 AFC U-23 Championship Squad 2020 AFC U-23 Championship Squad 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad Asian Games 2002 Asian Games Squad 2006 Asian Games Squad 2010 Asian Games Squad 2014 Asian Games Squad 2018 Asian Games Squad 2022 Asian Games Squad 2026 Asian Games Squad

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 Yoshitada Yamaguchi1990–1992 Akira Nishino1993–1996 Philippe Troussier1998–2000 Masakuni Yamamoto2002–2004 Yasuharu Sorimachi2006–2008 Takashi Sekizuka2010–2012 Makoto Teguramori2014–2016 Hajime Moriyasu2017–2020 Akinobu Yokouchi2020 Hajime Moriyasu2020–2021 Koichi Togashi2021 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 Hosoya 35 16 FW 2021–2024 2Kein Sato 33 8 MF 2021–20243Keigo Higashi 31 5 MF 2010–2012Kensuke Nagai 31 13 FW 2009–2012Reo Hatate 31 8 MF 2017–2021 6Shoya Nakajima 30 19 FW 2014–2016 7Hotaru Yamaguchi 29 1 MF 2010–20128Kazuya Yamamura 26 1 DF 2010–2012Hiroki Sakai 26 3 DF 2011–2021 10Daisuke Matsui 25 2 MF 2002–2004

Top goalscorers #NameGoalsCapsRatioCareer 1Shoya Nakajima 19 30 0.63 2014–2016 2Mao Hosoya 16 35 2021–2024 3Kensuke Nagai 13 31 0.42 2009–2012 4Ayase Ueda 12 24 0.5 2017–2021 5Daizen Maeda 9 18 0.5 2018–20216Reo Hatate 8 31 0.26 2017–2021Kein Sato 8 33 2021–20247Musashi Suzuki 7 10 0.7 2014–2016Takefusa Kubo 7 18 0.39 2018–2021Yuito Suzuki 7 20 0.35 2021–2023

Competitive record Champions   Runners-up   Third place   Fourth place  

Olympic Games

Summer Olympics recordQualification recordYearRoundPositionLink1908–1988See Japan national teamSee Japan national team 1992Did not qualify116142211Link 1996Group stage9th3201449711256Link 2000Quarter-finals5th421165121200663Link 2004Group stage13th3102678611192Link 2008Group stage15th30031412921244Link 2012Fourth place4th6312658602176Link 2016Group stage10th311177 via AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2020Fourth place4th631285 2024Quarter-finals5th430173 2028 To be determinated To be determinated 2032Total Fourth place 12/13 32 15 4 13 45 4060465917332Link

Match history

Summer Olympics historyYearRoundOpponentScoreResult1996Group stage1–0Win0–2Loss3–2Win2000Group stage2–1Win2–1Win0–1LossQuarter-finals2–2 Draw2004Group stage3–4Loss2–3Loss1–0Win2008Group stage0–1Loss1–2Loss0–1Loss2012Group stage1–0Win1–0Win0–0DrawQuarter-finals3–0WinSemi-finals1–3LossBronze Play-off 0–2Loss2016Group stage4–5Loss2–2Draw1–0Win2020Group stage1–0Win2–1Win4–0WinQuarter-finals0–0 DrawSemi-finals0–1 LossBronze Play-off1–3Loss2024Group stage5–0Win1–0Win1–0WinQuarter-finals0–3Loss

AFC U-23 Asian Cup

AFC U-23 Asian Cup recordQualifier recordYearResultPosition 2013Quarter-finals7th4121855500202 2016Champions1st66001543300100 2018Quarter-finals5th4301553300112 2020Group stage15th3012353300210 2022Third place3rd6411113220080 2024Champions1st6501103321070 2026Champions1st65101613300112 2028Qualified as hostQualified as hostTotal8/83 Titles3524566826222110886

Match history AFC U-23 Asian Cup historyYearRoundOpponentScoreResult2013Group stage3–3Draw0–0Draw4–0WinQuarter-finals0–1Loss2016Group stage1–0Win4–0Win2–1WinQuarter-finals3–0 WinSemi-finals2–1WinFinal3–2Win2018Group stage1–0Win1–0Win3–1WinQuarter-finals0–4Loss2020Group stage1–2Loss1–2Loss1–1Draw2022Group stage2–1Win0–0Draw3–0WinQuarter-finals3–0WinSemi-finals0–2Loss3rd place match3–0Win2024Group stage1–0Win2–0Win0–1LossQuarter-finals4–2 WinSemi-finals2–0WinFinal1–0Win2026Group stage5–0Win3–0Win2–0WinQuarter-finals1–1 DrawSemi-finals1–0WinFinal4–0Win

Asian Games

Asian Games recordHosts / YearResultPosition 200226501134 2006Round 111320154 201017700171 2014Quarter-finals65302105 201827502104 202226501184 202626411142 2030 2034Total7/74031188724

Match history Asian Games historyYearRoundOpponentScoreResult2002Round 12–0Win5–2Win1–0WinQuarter-finals1–0WinSemi-finals3–0WinFinal1–2Loss2006Round 13–2Win1–0Win1–2Loss2010Round 13–0Win2–0Win3–0WinRound 25–0WinQuarter-finals1–0WinSemi-finals2–1WinFinal1–0Win2014Round 14–1Win1–3Loss4–0WinRound 24–0WinQuarter-finals 0–1Loss2018Round 11–0Win4–0Win0–1LossRound 21–0WinQuarter-finals 2–1WinSemi-finals1–0WinFinal1–2Loss2022Round 13–1Win1–0Win7–0WinQuarter-finals2–1WinSemi-finals4–0WinFinal1–2Loss2026Round 12–0Win7–0Win3–0WinQuarter-finals1–0WinSemi-finals1–1 (9–8 pen.)WinFinal0–1Loss

See also

Sport in Japan Football in Japan Women's football in Japan Japan Football Association (JFA) Kirin Cup (Invitational tournament) (International friendly match) Kirin Company

National teams Men's National football team Results and fixtures 2020–present International footballers National under-23 football team National under-20 football team National under-17 football team National futsal team National under-20 futsal team National beach soccer team Women's National football team Results and fixtures 2021 International footballers National under-20 football team National under-17 football team National futsal team

References

External links Japan national under-21 football team (2022) – official website at JFA.jp Japan national under-24 football team (2021) – official website at JFA.jp Japan national under-23 football team (2020) – official website at JFA.jp Japan national team 2021 schedule at JFA.jp