Japan National Football Team

Stream Japan at the FIFA World Cup 2022: Don’t Miss the Samurai Blues in Qatar

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The Japan national team is not expected to do much at the FIFA World Cup. The question at this point is whether they can make it out of the Group Stage and into the Round of 16. We wouldn’t count out the Samurai Blue. Read on to learn your options to Japan in the World Cup!

In a hurry? Fans of the Samurai Blue can watch the first two games on FS1 (English) and Telemundo (Spanish). The third game will be on Fox and Universo. These streaming services provide coverage of these games:

  • Fubo: The best streaming service for international sports also provides 150+ well-selected channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
  • DIRECTV STREAM: Get a great channel lineup with the best selection of RSNs in the industry. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
  • Sling TV: This low-cost service allows you to select just the channel lineup you want. Save 50% on Sling TV now.

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Japan’s Group Stage games are on November 23rd and 27th and December 1st. Only the top 2 teams in their group advance to the knockout stage. But if that includes Japan, we will have all the details here.

Team Japan Background

Coming in at number 26 in the FIFA rankings, Japan is one of the top teams in Asian soccer. They finished second in their group during regional qualifying, which meant that they earned an automatic ticket to Qatar without the need to compete in a playoff. The Japanese national team also qualified for the Asian Cup based on their performance during World Cup qualifying.

Japan will start the 2022 World Cup in a group featuring Germany, Costa Rica, and Spain. Germany and Spain are widely considered to be among the best teams in the world. Therefore, Japan will likely need to beat Costa Rica and hope for a tie against either Germany or Spain if the team hopes to advance to the knockout phase of the tournament. Japan will play its first game on November 23 against Germany.

The 2022 tournament represents the sixth straight time that Japan has made it to the finals of the World Cup. However, Japan has never advanced past the Round of 16. Hajime Moriyasu has managed the team since 2018. Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) are generally considered to be the best players on the team and will be counted on to create big plays on a regular basis.

Also on the team: Takuma Asano (Bochum), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), Junya Ito (Reims), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Reds), Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Maya Yoshida (Schalke), and goalkeepers Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse) and Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg).

Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town) is out due to a torn Achilles tendon. Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) may also be out.

Team Japan World Cup Schedule

Japan is in Group E along with Costa Rica, Germany, and Spain. Each team plays the other once:

  • Wed November 23 : Germany at Khalifa International Stadium
  • Sun November 27 : Costa Rica Ahmed bin Ali Stadium
  • Thu December 1 : Spain at Khalifa International Stadium

Qatar 2022 continues:

  • Round of 16 (December 3-6)
  • Quarter-Finals (December 9-10)
  • Semi-Finals (December 13-14)
  • Third-Place Play-Off (December 17)
  • World Cup Final (December 18th).

Channels for Watching Japan in the 2022 World Cup Qatar

In the USA, Fox holds the rights for English-language broadcasting of the World Cup. NBCUniversal has the rights for the Spanish-language broadcasts. Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and Telemundo will broadcast the first two Samurai Blue games. Fox and Universo will air the third game.

How to Watch Team Japan With an OTA Antenna

All three games featuring Japan will be available OTA via antenna in Spanish. Only the third game will be available for free in English.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

How to Stream Team Japan at the World Cup 2022

There are a number of streaming services that provide all the channels that you need to watch the World Cup in either English or Spanish. But if you are only interested in the Spanish broadcasts, you have a great super-low-priced choice.

English-Only Streaming Options For Team Japan

Spanish-Only Streaming Coverage

  • Peacock: A great deal, which provides Spanish-language versions of all the World Cup games for just $7.99/month. (Peacock review)

Watch Every Japan Game in the World Cup

Devices for Streaming Team Japan

You can generally assume that the major streaming services will support whatever streaming devices you own. They all support the following:

  • Amazon Fire TV (Firestick)
  • Android mobile
  • Apple TV
  • Chromecast
  • iOS (iPhone, iPad)
  • Roku
  • Samsung smart TVs
  • Web browsers

DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t support Xbox gaming systems. Some also support PlayStation units.

Our reviews (linked above) provide complete details.

Wrapping up

Don’t miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is likely to be the biggest event of the year. You have many options to watch Japan compete. Our top choice is FuboTV.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

FAQs

What free options do I have to watch Japan in the 2022 Qatar World Cup?

Aside from catching the matches on cable television, FuboTV streams FOX, and Fox Sports 1. you can watch Japan in the WC for free through other streaming services such as FuboTV, and other streaming platforms may be streaming replays of the matches.

What year did Japan last win the World Cup?

Japan has never won it all in the 6 previous times Japan made it to the WC Finals. The seventh time they made it was this year in Qatar. The furthest that the Japanese team has ever made it in the tournament was in 2018 when they made it to the round of 16.

Can I listen to Japan in the World Cup on the Radio?

Despite most audiences wanting to watch the matches, you can indeed listen to the matches on the radio on Sirius XM. Sirius XM is one of the most popular radio stations in America that comes equipped in most people’s cars. With the early broadcasting times of the WC matches in the states, listening to the matches on your way to work is possible.

When did Japan Qualify for the 2022 World Cup?

Japan qualified for the WC for the seventh time in history, by beating Australia’s Socceroos (2-1) and ruining their chances of automatic qualification from the WC. Although, in the end, Australia still qualified.

Who is the team Captain for Japan?

Japan Head Coach, Hajime Moriyasu, has chosen the center-back from Bundesliga, Maya Yoshida, to be the 2022 captain of the Japan National team. Spending most of his career in Europe and now Germany, Yoshida must very excited to be back in Japan representing his home country in the 2022 Qatar WC.

How can I watch other soccer leagues and major games?

These guides provide detailed information:

Japan National Football Team by Светлана Бекетова under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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Alanna Baker
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