Japan will face Uruguay in an international friendly on March 24 at Tokyo's National Stadium, in their first match since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Japan Football Association said Monday.
The Samurai Blue, 20th in the FIFA men's rankings, reached the knockout stage in Qatar under manager Hajime Moriyasu after beating both Germany and Spain in the group stage, while 16th-ranked Uruguay failed to get out of its group.
Japan has won two, drawn two and lost four of the past meetings between the two countries, most recently earning a 2-2 draw at the 2019 Copa America in Brazil.
Japan will take on another South American nation, Colombia, four days later at Yodoko Sakura Stadium in Osaka.
"They're extremely strong opponents," said Moriyasu of Uruguay and Colombia at Narita International Airport after returning from visiting Japanese players in Europe, mainly in Germany.
"If we can get the feeling that we can match them, or do even better, it will naturally give us the confidence to win matches at the World Cup. I'm really looking forward to the games."