Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the country’s World Cup squad due to a foot injury, the Japan Football Association said Thursday, with the Liverpool midfielder later announcing his shock retirement from international duty.
The 33-year-old posted his decision on his X account three days before the Samurai Blue’s Group F opener against the Netherlands, expressing his pride in captaining the side since the last World Cup and backing the success of the current and future national teams.
“Since getting injured and up until this point, I’ve done everything I could and I have no regret,” wrote Endo, who underwent surgery on his left foot in late February and had to come off at halftime on his return in Japan’s send-off game against Iceland on May 31 in Tokyo.
“There is frustration from not being able to take part in this World Cup, of course…but I’m proud to have led and developed together with a team who can naturally talk about our goal being winning the World Cup,” he added.
National team director Masakuni Yamamoto said Ajax defender Ko Itakura has been named the new captain, while Borussia Monchengladbach forward Shuto Machino has been called up as a replacement for Endo.
The combative midfielder had been training separately from the rest of the Japan squad until making a partial return to full-team training on Wednesday near Nashville, Tennessee, where Japan have their World Cup base camp.
Yamamoto said the final decision was made by manager Hajime Moriyasu after a report from the medical team.
“It really hurts to lose our captain at this stage,” said Itakura, who visited Endo’s room and had a personal conversation with him after hearing the news. “I don’t think it’s easy to accept a decision like this…(but) he didn’t show it and was staying calm.”
“Even if the team didn’t hear it directly from Wataru, we all know it. We’ve been together for a long time and seen how much resolve he had in leading us until now,” Itakura said.
Endo urged his entire country to get behind the team as the tournament kicked off the same day.
“Our current team really are a wonderful team. I’m sure they will overcome any adversity and show us something we’ve never seen,” Endo wrote. “With this, I am retiring from the national team. Hence, I’ll be supporting Japan as a fan from now.”
“There’ll definitely come a moment when Japan win the World Cup…To make that moment arrive at this tournament, let’s unite all the power of Japan as we head into the World Cup,” he wrote. “Everyone, let’s just do it.”
© KYODO
