FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Champions in 2014 and twice runners-up, Japan have underperformed in recent editions with four consecutive quarter-final exits but this time around, the determination to go further is immense.
Factfile
Previous appearances: 9
Best finish: Champions (2014)
How they qualified: AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026™ runners-up
Head coach: Sadayoshi Shirai
Fixtures - October 18 v Zambia; October 21 v France; October 24 v Venezuela
Fun fact: Japan have qualified for every single one of the nine previous editions, a feat matched only by New Zealand.
Previous appearances: 9
Best finish: Champions (2014)
How they qualified: AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026™ runners-up
Head coach: Sadayoshi Shirai
Fixtures - October 18 v Zambia; October 21 v France; October 24 v Venezuela
Fun fact: Japan have qualified for every single one of the nine previous editions, a feat matched only by New Zealand.
Head coach Sadayoshi Shirai began preparations for the tournament with a training camp in September and Japan will play Spain in two warm-up matches prior to the start of the competition at Morocco 2026.
Immediately after the defeat to DPR Korea in the final of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup China 2026™, Shirai spoke about the need for improvement especially with how the team copes with opposition pressing.
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That experience will come in handy in a tough Group D where they will take on Zambia, France and Venezuela with the target of snapping one of the two automatic qualifying spots from the group.
A ‘veteran’ of the competition, having also led the team in the 2024 and 2022 editions, Shirai knows well what is required to make the 2026 edition a success for Japan.
The pair of Rara Higuchi and Harura Matsushita shone at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Cup China 2026 and they will look to bring their form onto the world stage as Japan aim for the stars once again.
