عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Japan Becomes the First Team to Qualify for the 2026 World Cup after Host Nations

Japan's Daichi Kamada shoots to score the opening goal during the World Cup qualifying soccer match between Japan and Bahrain at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Daichi Kamada shoots to score the opening goal during the World Cup qualifying soccer match between Japan and Bahrain at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
TT
20
TT

Japan Becomes the First Team to Qualify for the 2026 World Cup after Host Nations

Japan's Daichi Kamada shoots to score the opening goal during the World Cup qualifying soccer match between Japan and Bahrain at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Daichi Kamada shoots to score the opening goal during the World Cup qualifying soccer match between Japan and Bahrain at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after beating Bahrain 2-0 at Saitama Stadium on Thursday.
Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo ensured the Samurai Blue secured a spot in Asia Group C's top two automatic qualification places.
At its eighth successive World Cup, Japan joins co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico in the expanded 48-team tournament.
Earlier, second-placed Australia took a big step towards a seventh appearance by defeating Indonesia 5-1 in Sydney in the visitor's first game under new coach Patrick Kluivert, The AP reported.
Indonesia's Kevin Diks missed a penalty in the eighth minute, and 10 minutes later Martin Boyle made no mistake with his spot kick to put the Socceroos ahead.
Nishan Velupillay and Jackson Irvine scored before the break and Lewis Miller made it 4-0 on the hour. Ole Romeny pulled one back for Indonesia before Irvine grabbed his second and the hosts' fifth.
The top two from each of the three six-team groups in the third round of Asian qualifying advance to the World Cup while the third- and fourth-placed teams advance to another stage to compete for two more places.

Most Viewed

 
Sports

England’s Kane Optimistic About Chances of Winning First Ballon D’Or 

Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - England Training - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - March 18, 2025 England's Harry Kane and Kyle Walker during training. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - England Training - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - March 18, 2025 England's Harry Kane and Kyle Walker during training. (Action Images via Reuters)
TT
20
TT

England’s Kane Optimistic About Chances of Winning First Ballon D’Or 

Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - England Training - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - March 18, 2025 England's Harry Kane and Kyle Walker during training. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - England Training - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - March 18, 2025 England's Harry Kane and Kyle Walker during training. (Action Images via Reuters)

England captain Harry Kane sees a real chance of winning the next Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world, but knows securing silverware with Bayern Munich would be key to fulfilling that dream.

The 31-year-old striker, England's all-time leading goalscorer, has scored 32 goals and provided 11 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions this season for Bayern, helping the German giants top the Bundesliga table and book a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

While no English player has won the Ballon d'Or since former Liverpool striker Michael Owen in 2001, Kane believes his chance of winning soccer's top individual award has been boosted by his August 2023 move from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern.

"Just being at a club like Bayern Munich has helped push me on even more, confidence-wise and responsibility-wise," Kane told reporters ahead of Friday's FIFA World Cup European qualifier against Albania.

"I feel like I've definitely got better, I've improved, and maybe the 'aura' of me as a player is a bit more respected than what it has been in the past, because you're playing in big games, big nights.

"That's probably what I mean in terms of being respected more worldwide, on the bigger stage. For something like that, you have to win enough team trophies to be considered in that and probably score 40-odd goals, but that is a possibility this season."

Kane said his goal-scoring feats are not always appreciated but he remains motivated as ever.

"It's like when (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi were throwing these crazy numbers out there and the next season they'd score 40 goals instead of 50. It was like they were having a bad season," Kane said.

"People take it for granted and maybe a little bit with England as well. I've scored 69 goals and when you score against Albania or Latvia, or these teams, people just expect it, so it's not spoken about so much.

"If I was 25 now and doing what I'm doing, the excitement around me would maybe be a little bit different to what it is now. That's part of where we are with football ... Maybe people just get a little bit bored of what you do, but I'm certainly not bored. I'm excited for these games and the games ahead."