The following is a list of the Japan national football team's competitive records and statistics.
Player records
Players in bold are still active with Japan.
Most capped players
RankPlayerCapsGoalsPositionCareer1Yasuhito Endō15215MF2002–20152Yuto Nagatomo1424DF2008–present3Maya Yoshida12512DF2010–20224Masami Ihara1225DF1988–19995Shinji Okazaki11950FW2008–20196Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi1160GK1997–20107Makoto Hasebe1142MF2006–20188Yuji Nakazawa11017DF1999–20109Shunsuke Nakamura9824MF2000–2010Keisuke Honda9837MF2008–2018
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer1Kunishige Kamamoto75761964–19772Kazuyoshi Miura55891990–20003Shinji Okazaki501192008–20194Hiromi Hara37751978–1988Keisuke Honda37982008–20186Shinji Kagawa31972008–20197Takuya Takagi27441992–19978Kazushi Kimura26541979–19869Yuya Osako25572013–202210Shunsuke Nakamura24982000–2010
Other records
Updated 29 March 2022
Youngest player Daisuke Ichikawa, 17 years and 322 days old, 1 April 1998 against
Youngest goalscorer Shinji Kagawa, 19 years and 206 days old, 9 October 2008 against
Youngest captain Gen Shoji, 24 years and 363 days old, 9 December 2017 EAFF E-1 Championship
Oldest player Eiji Kawashima, 39 years and 9 days old, 29 March 2022 against
Oldest goalscorer Masashi Nakayama, 33 years and 326 days old, 15 August 2001 against
Oldest captain Shigeo Yaegashi, 35 years and 203 days old, 13 October 1968 Summer Olympics
Most hat-trick 8, Kunishige Kamamoto
Most goal in one match 6, Kunishige Kamamoto, 27 September 1967 against 6, Kazuyoshi Miura, 22 June 1997 against
Most goal in calendar year 18, Kazuyoshi Miura, 1997
Manager records Most appearances RankManagerAppsWinsTenure 1 Zico 71 37 2002–2006 2 Alberto Zaccheroni 55 30 2010–20143 Philippe Troussier 50 23 1998–2002 Takeshi Okada 50 26 2007–2010 5 Hajime Moriyasu 50 36 2018– 6 Shu Kamo 46 23 1994–1997 7 Takaji Mori 43 23 1981–1985 8 Ken Naganuma (2nd) 42 16 1972–1976 9 Vahid Halilhodžić 38 21 2015–2018 10 Ken Naganuma (1st) 31 18 1963–1969
Manager achievements ManagerTournament Zico Philippe Troussier Alberto Zaccheroni Ken Naganuma Hajime Moriyasu Hans Ooft Hirokazu Ninomiya Takeshi Okada Vahid Halilhodžić
Team records Updated 19 January 2024
Biggest victory 15–0 vs Philippines, 27 September 1967 Heaviest defeat 15–2 vs Philippines, 10 May 1917 Most consecutive victories 11, 15 June 2023 vs. El Salvador – 14 January 2024 vs. Vietnam Most consecutive matches without defeat 20, 24 June 2010 vs. Denmark – 11 November 2011 vs. Tajikistan Most consecutive defeats 6, 10 June 1956 vs. South Korea – 28 December 1958 vs. Malaya Most consecutive matches without victory 11, 13 August 1976 vs. Burma – 15 June 1976 vs. South Korea Most consecutive draws 4, 13 August 1976 vs. Burma – 20 August 1976 vs. Malaysia Most consecutive matches scoring 17, 1 December 2022 vs. Spain – 24 January 2024 vs. Indonesia Most consecutive matches without scoring 6, 18 June 1989 vs. Hong Kong – 31 July 1990 vs. North Korea Most consecutive matches conceding a goal 28, 6 November 1960 vs. South Korea – 11 December 1966 vs. Iran Most consecutive matches without conceding a goal 7, 19 November 2003 vs. Cameroon – 18 February 2004 vs. Oman
Competitive record Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
*Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out. Red border indicates that the tournament was hosted on home soil. Gold, silver, bronze backgrounds indicate 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishes respectively. Bold text indicates best finish in tournament.
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup recordQualification recordYearResultPosition* 1930 Did not enterNo qualification 1934Did not enter 1938 WithdrewWithdrew 1950 Suspended from FIFASuspended from FIFA 1954 Did not qualify201137 1958 Did not enterDid not enter 1962 Did not qualify200214 1966 Did not enterDid not enter 1970 Did not qualify402248 1974410354 1978401305 1982420242 19868512155 1990623173 199413931356 1998 Group stage31st300314159515112 2002 Round of 169th421153Qualified as hosts 2006 Group stage28th301227121101255 2010 Round of 169th42114214842239 2014 Group stage29th30122614833308 2018 Round of 1615th411267181332447 2022 Round of 169th421154181512586 2026 Round of 3221st412185141220482TotalRound of 168/23298813333815295292835393
AFC Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup recordQualification recordYearResultPosition 1956WithdrewWithdrew 1960Withdrew 1964Withdrew 1968Did not qualify431084 1972WithdrewWithdrew 1976Did not qualify521244 1980WithdrewWithdrew 1984Withdrew 1988Group stage10th401306421163 1992Champions1st532063Qualified as hosts 1996Quarter-finals5th430173Qualified as champions 2000Champions1st65102163300150 2004Champions1st6420136Qualified as champions 2007Fourth place4th62311176501152 2011Champions1st64201466501174 2015Quarter-finals5th431081Qualified as champions 2019Runners-up2nd76011268710270 2023Quarter-finals7th53021288800462 2027Qualified6600240Total4 Titles11/1953331281045250414516219
Copa América Japan is the first team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited to the 1999 Copa América. Japan was also invited to the 2011 tournament and initially accepted the invitation. However, following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the JFA later withdrew on 16 May 2011, citing the difficulty of releasing some Japanese players from European teams to play as replacements. On the next day, CONMEBOL invited Costa Rica to replace Japan in the competition.
On 16 August 2013, CONMEBOL president Eugenio Figueredo announced that Japan was invited to the 2015 Copa América. However, Japan later declined the invitation due to scheduling problems.
On 14 May 2018, CONMEBOL announced that Japan, alongside Qatar, would be the two invited teams for the 2019 Copa América.
Copa América recordYearResultPosition 1999Group stage10th301238 2011Withdrew 2015Withdrew 2019Group stage9th302137TotalGroup stage2/476033615
CONMEBOL Copa América historyYearRoundDateOpponentResultStadium 1999Group stage29 JuneL 2–3Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción2 JulyL 0–45 JulyD 1–1Monumental Rio Parapiti, Pedro Juan Caballero 2019Group stage17 JuneL 0–4Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo20 JuneD 2–2Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre24 JuneD 1–1Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte
FIFA Confederations Cup FIFA Confederations Cup recordYearResultPositionSquad 1992Did not qualify 1995Group stage6th200218Squad 1997Did not qualify 1999 2001Runners-up2nd531161Squad 2003Group stage6th310243Squad 2005Group stage5th311144Squad 2009Did not qualify 2013Group stage7th300349Squad 2017Did not qualifyTotalRunners-up5/10165291925–
Olympic Games Since 1992, the Olympic team has been drawn from a squad with a maximum of three players over 23 years age, and the achievements of this team are not generally regarded as part of the national team's records, nor are the statistics credited to the players' international records.
Summer Olympics recordQualification recordYearResultPosition 1908Did not enter000000 1912000000 1920000000 1924000000 1928000000 1936Quarter-finals8th2101310000000 1948Did not enter000000 1952000000 1956First round10th100102000000 1960Did not qualify000000 1964Quarter-finals8th310259Qualified as hosts 1968Bronze medalists3rd632198000000 1972Did not enter000000 1976Did not qualify000000 1980Did not enter000000 1984Did not qualify000000 19880000001992–presentSee Japan national under-23 team000000TotalBronze medalists4/17125251729000000
Summer Olympics historyYearRoundScoreResult1936First round 3–2 WinQuarter-finals 0–8 Loss1956First round 0–2 Loss1964Group stage 3–2 WinGroup stage 2–3 LossQuarter-finals 0–4 Loss1968Group stage 3–1 WinGroup stage 1–1 DrawGroup stage 0–0 DrawQuarter-finals 3–1 WinSemi-finals 0–5 LossBronze medal match 2–0 Win
Asian Games Football at the Asian Games has been an under-23 tournament since 2002.
Asian Games recordYearResult 1951Third place311143 195410th200258 195812th200203 19626th310234 1966Third place7601185 1970Fourth place750285 19749th311154 19789th310255 19825th430163 19869th420294 19908th310233 19947th412195 19989th5302842002–presentSee Japan national under-23 football teamTotal13/1350254218356
Head-to-head record The list shown below shows the Japan national football team head-to-head record. As of 14 June 2026.
Summary
ConfederationPldWDLGFGAGDAFC5392911121371,094555+539CAF4024796939+30CONCACAF37216107638+38CONMEBOL7720243387122–35OFC96031610+6UEFA123412656157200–43Total8244031742471,487965+522
AFC As of 15 July 2025 OpponentFirst meetingLast meetingPldWDLGFGAGD195120153300130+13 195620252691173633+3 197820251411122811+17 197519935500221+21 198020003300182+16 197020154400101+91917 2025 39 18 9 12 57 53 +4 196319837421178+9 195820252514565422+34 19542006129033611+25 193420252113265226+26 19512019186662119+2 19782024147342012+8 198820247331186+12 19781996510428−6 20182019220060+6 19671967110031+2 198020004400260+26 195820042697104043−3 201920212200200+20 19552024169523912+27 198619975500280+28 19752024209472014+6 1988202113931205+15 19621988211052+3 20152015110040+4 191519832015058835+53 19832019102441215−3 199020251811252713+14 195920152621235818+40 195420257916234075119−44 196119735401145+9 19821982110031+2 197219933300160+16 19782024131120379+28 201120214400191+18 196220242317425716+41 20192019110032+1 19812017196942217+5 19962019117313010+20 200720246510124+8 20062010440083+5Total191720255362891101381,086559+527
CAF As of 20 June 2026 OpponentFromToPldWDLGFGAGD20052005110010+1 20012020532050+5 19982007220051+4 1964202596032014+6 199320205302440 201820181010110 19682003421186+2 19872018402247−3 200920091010000 20092009110050+5 199620267601123+9 20142014110043+1Total196420263924786535+30
CONCACAF As of 9 September 2025 OpponentFromToPldWDLGFGAGD 200120234301104+6 199520225311103+7 20192023220080+8 20102013220051+4 201720171010330 200220143210147+7 19982014421173+4 199620257115611−5 20182020220040+4 20062019211020+2 19932025420276+1Total199320253419697436+38
CONMEBOL As of 1 October 2026 OpponentFromToPldWDLGFGAGD 199220107106415−11 19992025431071+6 198920261512121040−30 200820193111440 20032023611449−5 19952026523051+4 19952025125521712+5 19672023823386+2 19852026113442327−4 20102026614179−2Total196720267321213183117−34
OFC As of 5 October 2026 OpponentFromToPldWDLGFGAGD 198120267403129+3 20212021110021+1Total1981202685031410+4
UEFA As of 25 June 2026 OpponentFromToPldWDLGFGAGD 200720071010000 20122012110020+2 20132013100101−1 199920186222118+3 20062016311164+2 1976201661141013−3 199720224121550 20142014110010+1 19982011312010+1 19712010210154+1 19952026411245−1 20062009220071+6 199420126114514−9 20042023421187+1 20052014211010+1 19932004200224−2 19712026440093+6 197319777007217−15 1936 2013 3 0 1 2 4 13 −9 199720053210102+8 20052013211052+3 20062006110010+1 20072007110020+2 20092026402248−4 20022002100103−3 1981201872051014−4 197420034013312−9 197820024103311−8 19952026422030+3 196120139306620−14 20002004321052+3 200120222101220 1936 2026 7 1 4 2 9 13 −4 20072018210145−1 19972023320153+2 20022018310223−1 19921992100101−1Total19362026120392556152197−45
FIFA World Ranking , after the match against .
Best Ranking Best Mover Worst Ranking Worst Mover