Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Japan national under-23 football team
National association football team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The Japan national under-23 football team (Japanese: U-23サッカー日本代表) is a national association football youth team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association. The team won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and were champions in the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship. Since 1992, it was decided that teams targeting athletes under the age of 23 will participate in the Olympics (additional provisions for overage limits have been added since 1996). Therefore, the name changes to Japan national under-22 football team the year before the Olympics and Japan national under-21 football team two years prior. The exception to this was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed one year, so in 2021, the team was called the Japan national under-24 football team. At the 2024 Olympics, they advanced to the Knockout stage without three overage players and several key players.
Remove ads
Team image
Nicknames
"サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue)" basically refers to the Japan national football team, but the under-23 football team are sometimes referred to as "Young" Samurai Blue. However, in reality, Samurai Blue is not often used. In the Olympic Games, the name Olympíc Japan "オリンピックジャパン (Orinpikku Japan)" is used to referred to U-23 national team.
Rivalries
South Korea
Japan maintains a strong football rivalry with South Korea, even in youth set-ups.
Remove ads
Results and fixtures
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2025
U-22
| 25 July Mirabror Usmanov Memorial Cup | Saudi Arabia  | 1–5 |  Japan | Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
| 20:00 UTC+5 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: JAR Stadium |
| 28 July Mirabror Usmanov Memorial Cup | Uzbekistan  | 0–2 | Japan | Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
| 20:00 UTC+5 | Stadium: JAR Stadium |
| 3 September 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qual. | Japan | v |  Afghanistan | Yangon, Myanmar |
| 19:00 UTC+6:30 | Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium |
| 6 September 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qual. | Myanmar  | v | Japan | Yangon, Myanmar |
| 16:00 UTC+6:30 | Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium |
| 9 September 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qual. | Japan | v |  Kuwait | Yangon, Myanmar |
| 19:00 UTC+6:30 | Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium |
Remove ads
Head-to-head record
Summarize
Perspective
- As of 2 August 2024, after the match against Spain.
The following table shows Japan under-23 team's all-time international record.
Remove ads
Coaching staff
Players
Summarize
Perspective
Current squad
The following U-22 players were called up for the Mirabror Usmanov Memorial Cup, held from 25 to 28 July 2025.[2]
Recent call-ups
The following players were called up to an U-23, U-22 or U-21 squad in the past 12 months.
(Players are listed within position group by order of latest call-up, seniority, caps, goals, and then alphabetically) -->
Previous squads
- Bold indicates winning squads
- Olympic Games
- 1996 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2000 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2004 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2008 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2012 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2016 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2020 Summer Olympics Squad
- 2024 Summer Olympics Squad
- AFC U-23 Asian Cup
- 2013 AFC U-22 Championship Squad
- 2016 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
- 2018 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
- 2020 AFC U-23 Championship Squad
- 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad
- 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Squad
- Asian Games
Overaged players in the Olympic Games
Remove ads
Manager history
Records
- As of 2 August 2024
- Players in bold are still active, at least at club level.
- Caps and goals are calculated taking into account all national team levels, including U21, U22, and U23.
Remove ads
Competitive record
Summarize
Perspective
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Olympic Games
Match history
.jpg)
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Match history
Asian Games
Match history
Remove ads
See also
.svg){kind=small}
- Sport in Japan
- Japan Football Association (JFA)
- Kirin Cup (Invitational tournament)
- Kirin Challenge Cup (International friendly match)
- Kirin Company
- National teams
- Men's
- National football team
- National under-23 football team
- National under-20 football team
- National under-17 football team
- National futsal team
- National under-20 futsal team
- National beach soccer team
- Women's
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads