Japan’s participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup came to an early end.
It was a bittersweet performance for the Samurai Blue, losing to Croatia on penalty kicks in the last 16 after surprising — if not stunning — upsets in the group competition. While reaching the knockout rounds is a reason to celebrate, the team’s departure after just one game left players and fans hungry for more.
Japan qualified for the World Cup for the seventh consecutive time, an impressive streak that began in the 1998 tournament. Until this year, the Samurai Blue alternated between going home after the group stage and falling in the knockout stages. This is the first time that the team mustered two consecutive trips to the knockout round.