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Why isn't Wataru Endo playing for Japan at the 2026 World Cup? Here is the heartbreaking reason the Samurai Blue captain is missing the tournament. Japan’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup were rocked by a massive hurdle just days before their tournament kicked off in North America. Wataru Endo, the team’s regular captain and defensive anchor, is missing the entire tournament due to an injury. The Samurai Blue are navigating their group stage campaign without the heart and soul of their midfield. The omission is an incredibly bitter pill to swallow for Japanese soccer fans. Endo was expected to lead his nation into battle on the world’s biggest stage. Instead, a brutal combination of timing and a race against the clock has left the midfield general on the sidelines. The final decision came directly from the manager after months of hard rehabilitation. Why isn’t Wataru Endo playing for Japan at the 2026 World Cup? Wataru Endo is not playing in the 2026 World Cup due to a severe foot injury suffered during his club campaign with Liverpool. Back in February, the 33-year-old midfielder severely damaged his Lisfranc ligament during a domestic match. The injury required intensive corrective surgery, threatening his tournament hopes from the start. Endo opted for an aggressive recovery timeline and was even named to Japan’s initial 26-man roster. He made a brief appearance in a May 31 warmup friendly against Iceland. However, continued physical discomfort hampered his progress. Just three days before Japan’s opening group match against the Netherlands, head coach Hajime Moriyasu made the tough tactical decision to replace him, knowing Endo could not withstand the physical demands of consecutive matches. Wataru Endo’s shock international retirement The injury setback brought an abrupt and emotional end to Endo’s time with the national team. Upon leaving the training camp, the veteran officially announced his retirement from international soccer. Endo leaves behind a brilliant 11-year legacy with the Samurai Blue, finishing his international career with 73 caps and four goals. He was the emotional heartbeat of the team that famously shocked Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In a statement on social media, Endo expressed his immense pride in captaining the team and backed them to succeed without him. He urged fans to keep believing in the team’s ultimate ambition of one day winning the tournament.
Scotland face a ‘must-win’ opening clash against Haiti in Boston while England have been able to recover some of the missing items stolen from their training base in Kansas City
Mexican and South African fans flocked to the Azteca stadium in #Mexico City ahead of the opening game of the #WorldCup. This comes amid #protests around the city, as #teachers and families of those missing in the #drug war hope to draw international attention to their demands.
A missing country from the 2026 World Cup is Wales after they failed to qualify. There were not many reasons to miss out on the 2026 World Cup after the tournament expanded to 48 teams. However, Wales were among those who failed to qualify for the competition. While they no longer have names like Gareth Bale, Wales came close to earning a place. They did not perform well enough in their group, finishing behind Belgium, but they were able to reach the playoff round introduced for this edition. A total of 16 teams were part of this round, divided into four groups that each offered one spot, with a semifinal and a final. Wales were drawn against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the semifinal, which they lost on penalties. Wales’ World Cup history It has not been very common for Wales to take part in this competition when looking at their record of just two appearances in their long history since the sport was created. That makes it more understandable not to see them often in the final rounds. Bale led Wales to Qatar after a long time (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Their first appearance came a long time ago, when far fewer countries were able to take part in the competition, since it was in 1958 in Sweden, when just 16 teams competed for the prestigious trophy. Their qualification for the edition played in Qatar was celebrated across the country. Their participation in the latest tournament ended a 64-year drought at the highest level. Their best performance Their first appearance in this competition also brought their best performance, even in a strong run in their debut. They were able to move on from the group stage as the second team behind Sweden after beating Hungary in a tie-breaker match. Wales lost 1-0 to Brazil, with a goal from Pelé.
England will face off against Costa Rica in a 2026 international friendly. Here’s how fans in the United States can watch the matchup live. Here are all of the details of where you can watch England vs Costa Rica on US television and via legal streaming: WHO England vs Costa Rica WHAT International Friendly WHEN 4:00pm ET / 1:00pm PT • Wednesday, June 10, 2026 WHERE Fubo, DirecTV Stream, FS2, Hulu + Live TV and ViX STREAM WATCH NOW Match Overview As the World Cup draws near, England remains one of the tournament favorites thanks to a talented squad led by Harry Kane. The Three Lions will wrap up their preparations against Costa Rica, a side looking ahead after missing out on qualification despite the absence of regional powers the United States, Mexico, and Canada. For Los Ticos, the matchup provides an important opportunity to test themselves against one of Europe’s top teams and begin building for the future. Don’t miss this intriguing international clash before the World Cup gets underway. More details on how to watch With Fubo, you can watch England vs Costa Rica and tons more games. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast. Now with Fubo, you can stream USA Network, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, CBS Sports Network, FS1, FS2, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, beIN SPORTS XTRA, NBC, CNBC, USA, FOX, FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes, Telemundo, Universo and Galavision. Plus Fubo, the legal streaming service, also streams Liga MX, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League (in Spanish), Europa League (in Spanish), Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, World Cup qualifiers, NWSL, select USMNT games, select USWNT games, select Mexico games, select England games and more. The Fubo app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhones, Android phones, Amazon Fire TV, Android Mobile, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Hisense TVs, iOS devices, LG TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, Vizio Smartcast TVs and Xbox One. If you’re planning to follow more games on this platform, you can check out the full Fubo soccer schedule to stay up to date with upcoming matches available via the service. How to watch anywhere with VPN If you’re abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out World Soccer Talk’s guide to the best VPNs for streaming soccer.
Peru are missing the 2026 World Cup even after it expanded to 48 teams. While many teams were playing friendly matches to tune up for the 2026 World Cup, Peru were left on the outside after failing to qualify for the competition. After narrowly missing out on the previous edition, Peru did not qualify this time because they finished ninth out of 10 teams in CONMEBOL. Six countries earned direct spots, while one more place went to a playoff. Their qualifying run was so poor that they could not put together a strong campaign even with one of the easiest paths in the region’s history. They finished with just 12 points in 18 matches, leaving them only ahead of Chile in the standings and seven points behind seventh place. Peru’s World Cup history Peru have not been regulars in this competition. Since the World Cup began in 1930, they have only appeared in five editions, which makes their presence a rare one. Cubillas is their best player ever (Brennan Asplen/Getty Images) Their best spell came in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when players like Teófilo Cubillas helped them qualify for the 1970, 1978, and 1982 tournaments, out of a possible four editions in that period. They were also one of the few countries to take part in the 1930 edition. Their most recent appearance ended a long drought, as they returned in 2018, which was a major moment for the country’s younger fans. The best performance Their best performance came during the golden era led by Cubillas, when Peru reached the quarterfinals in 1970, their deepest run in World Cup history. Officially, they finished seventh, which was one place better than in 1978, when they also reached the quarterfinal stage, then called the second-round group.
Costa Rica are one of the few team that are going to be missing at the 2026 World Cup. Not many competitive nations are missing the 2026 World Cup after the tournament expanded to 48 teams, but Costa Rica were one of the few that failed to qualify. The reason for their elimination is simple: Costa Rica did not qualify because they finished in their group in the final round. Only the three group winners advanced directly, while the two best runners-up moved on to a playoff for the remaining spot. Costa Rica could not do enough to secure even a playoff place after six matches. They finished behind surprising group leaders Haiti, who had 11 points, and Honduras, who finished with 9 points and still did not reach the playoff round. Costa Rica’s 7 points were better than Nicaragua’s total of 4 points. A great run that ended For this edition, it was expected to be an easier path to the World Cup than before because the three biggest teams were not taking part. With the United States, Mexico, and Canada out of the competition, smaller teams had a chance to make history. Bryan Ruiz was the captain in 2014 (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) That led to changes in the format, but Costa Rica’s strong run came to an end after three straight World Cup appearances, giving them six in total. This century has been a strong one for Costa Rica, who first appeared in a World Cup in 1990. However, from 2000 to the present, they had only missed out in 2010 before this one, which came as a surprise to fans. The best performance While their debut in 1990 was especially strong, with a run to the round of 16, what they did in 2014 is still hard to match. Not only did they win a group that included Italy, Uruguay, and England, they also beat Greece in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw that stayed level through extra time. Their quarterfinal ended in a penalty shootout loss to the Netherlands after another draw in regulation.
