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Japan’s World Cup Group Opponents: Complete 1998–2022 Overview
Since Japan’s debut at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the national team has faced a total of 19 different nations in group-stage matchups. Understanding these historical opponents offers valuable insight ahead of the expanded 2026 World Cup held across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This long-form guide provides an SEO-optimized, smartphone-friendly overview of every group opponent Japan has ever met, along with results, performance trends, and confederation-based analysis to help readers grasp the team’s evolution.
Japan’s Group Stage Performance Summary
Across seven tournaments from 1998 to 2022, Japan played 21 group-stage matches with a record of:
7 wins, 4 draws, 10 losses
22 goals scored – 28 conceded
Japan advanced past the group stage three times in the last four tournaments, demonstrating clear improvement on the world stage.
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Complete List of Nations Japan Faced in the Group Stage
Japan’s 19 group-stage opponents between 1998 and 2022:
Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia (twice), Costa Rica, Croatia (twice), Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Senegal, Spain, Tunisia
Only two nations appeared twice: Croatia (1998, 2006) and Colombia (2014, 2018).
Tournament-by-Tournament Breakdown
1998 France
Opponents: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica
Record: 0–0–3
Japan’s first-ever World Cup appearance featured tough matchups and their first World Cup goal.
2002 Japan/Korea
Opponents: Belgium, Russia, Tunisia
Record: 2–1–0
Japan’s first group-stage advancement, backed by home support and standout performances.
2006 Germany
Opponents: Australia, Croatia, Brazil
Record: 0–1–2
A late collapse vs Australia and the challenge of facing Brazil defined the tournament.
2010 South Africa
Opponents: Cameroon, Netherlands, Denmark
Record: 2–0–1
Japan showcased strong defensive structure and precise counterattacks, advancing again.
2014 Brazil
Opponents: Ivory Coast, Greece, Colombia
Record: 0–1–2
Difficult conditions and strong South American opposition created a frustrating campaign.
2018 Russia
Opponents: Colombia, Senegal, Poland
Record: 1–1–1
Japan advanced via fair play points—the first team in history to do so.
2022 Qatar
Opponents: Germany, Costa Rica, Spain
Record: 2–0–1
Japan shocked the world by defeating Germany and Spain to win the group.
Confederation Performance Analysis
CAF (Africa): 4 opponents — 2W 1D 1L
Japan generally performs well against African sides.
UEFA (Europe): 10 opponents — 4W 3D 3L
Frequent matchups, balanced results, and major wins (Germany, Spain).
CONMEBOL (South America): 4 opponents — 1W 3L
Japan continues to struggle against South American teams.
CONCACAF: 2 opponents — 0W 0D 2L
A surprising area of weakness ahead of the 2026 North American tournament.
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What to Watch for in World Cup 2026
With the expanded format and three-team groups, the first match becomes more important than ever. Historical patterns suggest that Japan will likely meet at least one European team and possibly another CONCACAF opponent.
Conclusion
Japan’s World Cup history reveals consistent growth, culminating in major upsets in 2022. By understanding past opponents and performance trends, fans can better anticipate the challenges and excitement of the 2026 tournament.
This complete guide aims to serve as a comprehensive and SEO-friendly resource for readers seeking clarity on Japan’s group-stage history.
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