Discipline and togetherness: Japan's strategy for football greatness
On Sunday, Japan sealed a 2-2 draw against the higher-ranked Netherlands in their 2026 World Cup opener. Since qualifying for its first World Cup in 1998, Japan has reached every edition of the tournament and now sits 18th in the FIFA rankings. FRANCE 24's Adam Hancock, Alexis Br
On Sunday, Japan sealed a 2-2 draw against theย higher-ranked Netherlands in their 2026 World Cup opener.ย Since qualifying for its first World Cup in 1998, Japan has reached every edition of the tournament and now sits 18th in the FIFA rankings. FRANCE 24's Adam Hancock, Alexis Bregere and Ayana Nishikawa travelled across Japan to uncover the secrets behind the remarkable rise of Japanese football.
This report comes from France 24. The story centres on Discipline and togetherness: Japan's strategy for football greatness. Full coverage and background context is available at the original source. Readers seeking more detail on this developing topic are encouraged to follow updates from France 24 and related outlets covering this beat.

