Japan national football team

The Japan national football team is one of the strongest football teams in Asia, although it has only gained this strength fairly recently and, outside Asia, is generally considered weaker than South Korea's national team, despite Japan's higher ranking. Japan's first World Cup appearance was in 1998, four years before they hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. 2002 World Cup co-host South Korea went on to secure fourth place, while Japan were dismissed from the tournament in Round 2. The side have had considerably more success in the Asian Cup, taking home the winner's trophy in three of the last four finals. Their principal continental rivals are China, Iran and South Korea.

Contents

1 World Cup record

2 Asian Cup record

3 Top goalscorers

4 Other famous players

5 External links

World Cup record

1930 - Did not enter
1934 - Did not enter
1938 - Withdrew
1950 - Did not enter
1954 - Did not qualify
1958 - Did not enter
1962 - Did not qualify
1966 - Did not enter
1970 to 1994 - Did not qualify
1998 - Round 1
2002 - Round 2

Asian Cup record

1956 to 1964 - Did not enter
1968 - Did not qualify
1972 - Did not enter
1976 - Did not qualify
1980 - Did not enter
1984 - Did not enter
1988 - Round 1
1992 - Champions
1996 - Quarterfinals
2000 - Champions
2004 - Champions

Top goalscorers

Kunishige Kamamoto - 73 (1964-1977)
Kazuyoshi Miura - 56 (1990-2000)
Takuya Takagi - 28 (1992-1997)
Hiromi Hara - 24 (1978-1988)
Masashi Nakayama - 21 (1990-2003)

Other famous players

External links

Categories: Japanese football