What Junya Ito Should Do for Japan at the 2026 World Cup

2026年5月19日

What Junya Ito Should Do for Japan at the 2026 World Cup

Junya Ito’s value to Japan is not limited to beating a full-back on the right wing. His clearest job is to give Japan an immediate vertical outlet when possession gets stuck, the tempo drops, or the opponent starts pushing the line higher.

That matters because Japan already have technicians who can operate in tight spaces. What Ito adds is different: he stretches the field, attacks the space behind the defense, and turns recoveries into attacks before the opponent can reset.

Main role: create width and depth on the right side
Secondary role: change the speed of the game as a starter or substitute
Why he still matters: Japan do not have many right-sided attackers who can threaten space behind the back line so directly
What to watch: whether Hajime Moriyasu uses him from kickoff or saves him for the last 30 minutes

ここがポイント: Ito remains important because he gives Japan a simple, repeatable way to move the game forward when combinations through the middle are not enough.

TOC

The basic fact Japan are working from

Ito is not an outside bet for the squad. He is already part of Japan’s World Cup 2026 group on the JFA’s official squad list, where he is listed as an MF/FW for KRC Genk.

That status matters because Japan’s attack is crowded. Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan, Kaoru Mitoma, Daichi Kamada and others all offer different strengths. Ito stays relevant because his profile is still unusual inside this pool: he is a right-sided runner who can carry the ball into open grass, pin a full-back deep, and finish the move with a cross or final pass.

He also brings tournament experience. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he appeared in all four of Japan’s matches, and he was on the pitch for the full 120 minutes against Croatia in the round of 16. For a coach, that matters. It means Moriyasu is not guessing about how Ito reacts when the game gets tighter and the pace gets harsher.

Why club context still matters

A player’s national-team role is easier to trust when his club still asks him to carry serious attacking responsibility.

KRC Genk made that point clearly when Ito returned in August 2025. The club gave him the No. 10 shirt and framed the move not as a sentimental reunion, but as the return of a player who had already produced 29 goals and 49 assists in 144 official matches during his first spell.

That is the important part. Genk did not bring him back just to add experience to the dressing room. The No. 10 shirt and the language around the transfer showed that the club still sees him as a player who can shape attacks.

Public stats services also show that he has remained a real contributor rather than a ceremonial veteran. In the 2025-26 Belgian Pro League season, he featured in the majority of Genk’s matches and continued to post goal contributions. The exact totals vary slightly by database as the season updates, but the broader point is stable: Ito is still playing meaningful minutes and still affecting the final third.

What Ito gives Japan that others do not

Japan have more than one good winger. That is not the question.

The question is which attacker changes the picture of the game in the fastest, simplest way. Ito has a strong case there.

He makes the right side bigger

When Ito holds width, the opposing left-back cannot drift inside as comfortably. That stretches the back line and can open interior pockets for players such as Kubo or Kamada.

This is one of his quiet contributions. He helps not only with what he does on the ball, but also with how he forces defenders to stand.

He attacks the space behind the defense early

Kubo and Doan are excellent at receiving to feet and solving tight situations. Ito’s edge is different. He often tries to damage the defensive line first.

That becomes especially useful in World Cup games, where one clean run behind the back line can change a match that had been stuck for 20 minutes.

He turns recoveries into territory

Japan do not always need a beautiful attack. Sometimes they just need to get out.

Ito is one of the best options in the squad for that moment:

receiving quickly after a regain
driving 20 to 30 meters up the pitch
forcing the full-back to retreat
buying time for the midfield and opposite winger to join

That is not glamorous, but it is often what separates control from survival in knockout football.

Starter or game-breaker off the bench?

This is the real selection question.

Case for starting him

If Japan expect to spend long phases on the ball, Ito can keep the right flank honest from the first minute. His positioning can stop the opponent from shrinking the field too aggressively, and his runs can create room for the more creative players inside.

He also gives Japan a direct route if their passing rhythm is slow early in the match.

Case for using him later

There is also a strong argument for using Ito as a second-half weapon.

When he returned for Japan in the September 2024 qualifier against China PR, he came off the bench and scored in the 77th minute in a 7-0 win. The goal itself mattered, but the larger takeaway was his immediate impact. He entered with fresh legs and pushed the game forward without needing a long settling period.

That role can be even more valuable at a World Cup. Around the 60th minute, defensive distances start to open. A winger who can win the outside lane in one action becomes harder to contain.

How he fits next to Japan’s other attackers

Looking at names alone can be misleading. Looking at functions is clearer.

Kubo: receives to feet, combines, and creates from tighter spaces
Doan: offers left-footed threat and inside-box finishing actions from the right
Mitoma: isolates defenders on the left and can beat them cleanly in one-on-ones
Ito: carries Japan forward on the right, attacks space behind, and delivers the move at speed

That is why Ito should not be seen as a simple backup. His role changes depending on the game state.

If Japan are chasing the match, he can speed it up. If Japan are protecting a lead, he can push the opponent’s full-back backward and give Japan an escape route. If Japan are stuck in sterile possession, he can break the pattern with one direct run.

The practical issue Japan still need to solve

Ito will be 33 during the 2026 World Cup. That does not remove his value, but it does change the usage question.

The main issue is not whether he belongs in the squad. It is how Japan can get his sharpest version often enough across a tournament.

Three points matter most:

whether Moriyasu wants 90 minutes from him or a harder 25 to 35-minute burst
which right-back or right center-back combination supports him best
whether Japan use him mainly to widen the game or mainly to attack depth behind the line

Japan qualified for the 2026 World Cup on March 20, 2025, beating Bahrain 2-0. Since qualification was secured early, the most useful remaining work is not proving Ito is good enough. It is identifying the match scenarios where his skill set gives Japan the clearest edge.

Final takeaway

Ito’s importance to Japan is simple to describe even if the tactical details vary. He is the attacker who can restart forward momentum fastest from the right side.

That may come as a starter. It may come after halftime. But if Japan reach a point in a World Cup match where the ball is moving without penetration, the crowd feels the game flattening out, and the opponent starts stepping up with confidence, Ito is still one of the most obvious solutions.

The next thing to watch is not his reputation. It is his usage. If Japan can place him in the exact moments when verticality matters most, he remains a serious weapon rather than a nostalgic selection.

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