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Premier League winner announces retirement after being ruled out of World Cup
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- Premier League winner announces retirement after being ruled out of World Cup
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Wataru Endo has withdrawn from Japan 's World Cup squad and announced his international retirement after losing his fitness battle just days before the tournament.
Japan open Group F against the Netherlands in Arlington on June 14, but they will do it without their captain and midfield anchor.
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That is a brutal late blow for Hajime Moriyasu. Endo was not just another senior player, he was the voice that helped Japan turn ambition into belief after Qatar .
Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Wataru Endo retirement confirmed after Japan World Cup withdrawal
As Wataru Endo wrote, he has stepped away from Japan's World Cup squad after failing to recover fully from injury.
The Liverpool midfielder made his decision clear: "As announced, I will be stepping away from the World Cup squad. Since my injury, I've done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever."
Endo also pointed to what Japan built under his captaincy, adding: "I'm proud of how we've grown together."
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The 33-year-old had been fighting to make the tournament after suffering a foot injury on club duty with Liverpool in February. He required surgery and had not played competitively for months before returning for Japan's friendly against Iceland on May 31.
That comeback only lasted one half. Endo felt discomfort, and although Japan initially kept waiting, the final call came too close to the Netherlands opener.
Endo's message was emotional without sounding bitter. He said Japan had become a team that could talk naturally about winning the World Cup, and he backed the current squad to overcome adversity without him.
Japan lose Wataru Endo leadership before Netherlands opener
Endo leaves the international stage with 73 caps and four goals after making his Japan debut in 2015.
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He became captain after the 2022 World Cup, taking over from Maya Yoshida and giving Moriyasu's side a calm, disciplined leader in midfield.
Japan have reportedly called up Borussia Mönchengladbach forward Shūto Machino as his replacement, which underlines how awkward the timing is. It is not a like-for-like midfield fix.
Kō Itakura now looks like a strong captaincy option, while Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Dōan have also worn the armband during the past year.
Japan face the Netherlands first, then Tunisia on June 20 in Monterrey before meeting Sweden on June 25 back in Dallas.
Endo will watch that run as a fan now. For Japan, the challenge is making sure his final message becomes motivation rather than a shadow over the tournament.
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