Japan only needed three minutes to surge into the lead through a well-worked goal.

A move that started from midfield found Ryota Hariu on the left wing, and his cross was headed against the bar by captain Hiroto Asada. The ball fell kindly to Minato Yoshida, who made no mistake to open his team’s Saudi Arabia 2025 account.

Yoshida struck again in the 15th minute through a bullet header after receiving a precise cross from the overlapping Shota Fujii on the left wing.

UAE almost pulled a goal back immediately, but Mohamed Buti Almarar’s half volley hit the upright on its way out.

Yuito Kamo made it 3-0 after 34-minutes, with the forward allowed space to run at the UAE defenders before he curled in a sweet strike into the bottom corner.  

Yoshida could have sealed his hat-trick early in the second half, but he headed high from a good position in the penalty box.

Taito Kanda was next to come close to a fourth, but saw his ferocious drive palmed away to safety.

Buti then had a rare sight on goal for UAE, but blasted his free-kick high from a decent position with Asada then missing a sitter in the 66th minute after sending a header wide from four yards as the defending champions struggled to find the net after the interval.

It was UAE who reduced the deficit in the 71st minute through substitute Faysal Mohammed Albreiki, who fired across Japan goalkeeper Hiroto Matsuura.

Japan finally got a deserved fourth through captain Asada, who created space before rifling home in the 83rd minute as the East Asian side sent a strong message about their hunt a fifth title.