Previous Appearances: 11

Best Finish: Third (1968)

2020 Record: Fourth

How They Got There: AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ champions

Head Coach: Go Oiwa (JPN)

Fun Fact: Japan are set to feature at a record eighth consecutive Games, a run that no other nation at Paris 2024 can match.

Japan will head into their eighth consecutive Olympic Games looking to end their wait for a medal stretching back to 1968, when the East Asian side defeated Mexico to claim the bronze.

They came extremely close in 2012 and 2020, advancing to the semi-finals before eventually finishing fourth and despite heading to Paris with a fully Under-23 squad, head coach Go Oiwa is confident his charges can deliver a long-awaited medal.

"We're not going to the Paris Olympics for the experience. We're going there as the Japan national team and we're going there to win a medal - the gold medal," Oiwa boldly proclaimed after naming his squad last week.

The former defender's confidence stems from his familiarity with the players, having been in charge of the U23 squad since 2021.

His rising stars impressed in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ as Japan won the title with a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan in the final.

Oiwa has kept faith in almost all of the players who steered Japan to the AFC U23 Asian Cup title, meaning experience will not be a problem for the side.

Joel Chima Fujita was inspirational at Doha 2024, goalkeeper Leo Kokubo was steady between the posts while they had multiple sources for goals, making them an extremely potent outfit heading into their Group D challenge.

Japan v Paraguay | 19:00 | Stade de Bordeaux

Japan v Mali | 21:00 | Stade de Bordeaux

Israel v Japan | 21:00 | Stade de la Beaujoire