Coach Hajime Moriyasu, who guided Japan to the last sixteen at the World Cup in Qatar, remains in charge. The Japan Football Association confirmed this information on Wednesday (December 28).
Speculation about Moriyasu’s future began after Japan’s impressive performance at the World Cup in Qatar. Moriyasu’s future as Japan’s coach is in doubt after failing to reach the quarter-finals once again. But World Cup wins against Germany and Spain saved his job.
This is the fourth time Japan has been eliminated from the knockout stage. In the seventh consecutive World Cup, their dream of playing in the quarter-finals was not fulfilled. Moriyasu retained his position as the first Japanese coach after the World Cup. The 54-year-old Moriyasu’s new contract will run until the next World Cup, i.e. 2026, Japan Football Association president Kozo Tajima said.
Hajime Moriyasu will continue as Japan's national team manager going into the 2026 World Cup.
This is the first time a Japan manager has remained in the position following a World Cup in it's history 🇯🇵👏 pic.twitter.com/yLdEKskWEf
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 28, 2022
“I’m extremely honored while also bracing myself for the difficult mission ahead and the weight of responsibility that comes with the job,” Moriyasu said.
“I want to take on the challenge with the belief that nothing is impossible for Japan.”
“He deserves a tremendous evaluation for producing a result that reverberated throughout society, and not just within the Japanese football community,” JFA chairman Kozo Tashima said.