Sports
Japan captain Wataru Endo retires from international football after injury rules him out of 2026 World Cup
Japan captain Wataru Endo has announced his retirement from international football after failing to recover from a foot injury, just three days before Japan's opening match of the 2026 World Cup against the Netherlands. The 33-year-old Liverpool midfielder was replaced in the squad by Shuto Machino. Endo said he was disappointed but proud to have captained the team and expressed confidence Japan will one day win the World Cup.