The Japanese national team is a 'nemesis' for European football teams

If only considering results in regular time and extra time (excluding penalty shootouts), Japan's last defeat by a European team occurred over seven years ago. That was a 2-3 loss to Belgium in the Round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup in Russia on July 2, 2018.

Since then, the "Blue Samurai" have gone 2,904 days without losing to any European side. During this period, Japan has faced opponents from the "Old Continent" ten times, boasting an outstanding record: eight wins and two draws.

This impressive run began with a 1-0 victory over Serbia in a friendly on June 11, 2021. A year later, Japan caused a major upset at the 2022 World Cup by defeating Germany 2-1 in their opening group match.

Not stopping there, on December 1, 2022, Hajime Moriyasu's team shocked the world again by beating Spain 2-1. In the Round of 16 of the Qatar tournament, Japan was eliminated by Croatia after a penalty shootout, but the match ended 1-1 in regular and extra time.

In September 2023, Japan continued to demonstrate remarkable progress when they faced Germany again on away soil. This time, they secured an impressive 4-1 victory over the four-time world champions.

Just a few days later, Japan defeated Turkey 4-2 in a friendly in Belgium. This year, the Asian side successively beat Scotland 1-0 (March 28), England 1-0 (March 31), and Iceland 1-0 (May 31) ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Across those ten unbeaten matches, Japan scored 19 goals, averaging 1.9 per game, while conceding only eight times, showcasing an impressive defensive record.

This is an unprecedented achievement for an Asian team facing top European football nations. Such consistency has made Japan one of the teams to watch at the 2026 World Cup.

In this year's tournament, Japan is placed in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Sweden, and Tunisia. Given their current form, the "Blue Samurai" are expected to continue springing surprises against strong opponents. The recent 2-2 draw with the Netherlands is a testament to that.