Vietnam women's national team’s rival boasts numerous stars in England

The Japan women's national team features a large number of players active in the English women's football league ahead of the Women's Asian Cup tournament.

At the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation has set a tough path for teams competing for World Cup qualification. Six direct spots for the 2027 Women's World Cup will go to the four semifinalists plus the two winners of the playoff matches. The two teams losing in the playoffs still have a chance through the intercontinental repechage. Therefore, the minimum goal for any team is to reach the quarterfinals, as that is the gateway to further advancement.

This year’s tournament features 12 teams divided into three groups. The first and second place teams from each group will advance directly to the knockout stage. From there, quarterfinal winners move on to the semifinals, while the losing teams enter a secondary bracket to compete for remaining World Cup spots. This format makes every group stage match critically important, forcing strong contenders to exert maximum effort from the start rather than holding back.

Ahead of that campaign, the Japan women's national team’s call-up list shows great ambition. Among the 26 players selected, 22 are playing abroad while only four remain in domestic leagues. This strong wave of overseas experience has made their squad seasoned and accustomed to high tempo and intensity, especially from European leagues—considered one of the toughest environments for modern women's football.

The most notable stars are those competing in England. Fuka Nagano and Risa Shimizu represent Liverpool, Saki Kumagai leads the defense at London City Lionesses. Additionally, Ayaka Yamashita, Yui Hasegawa, and Aoba Fujino play for Manchester City, and Hinata Miyazawa is part of Manchester United. Their presence greatly enhances the technical quality of this East Asian team.

With such a strong squad, coach Nils Nielsen openly aims to reclaim the continental crown. Four years ago, Japan watched China’s women's national team lift the trophy with regret. This time, besides targeting the World Cup, they want to reaffirm their top position in Asia, a source of pride for their traditionally strong women's football program.

According to the plan, the team will gather from February 24th, having about eight days of training before their opening match against Chinese Taipei on March 4th. The notable clash with Vietnam’s women’s team is scheduled for March 10th. Although preparation time is limited, with many players performing well in European clubs, Japan is expected to enter the tournament in peak condition.

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