[Perspective on 2030] How Old Will These 26 Players Be in Four Years? | The 10 Players Who Will Still Be Under 30, and Japan's Search for the 'Next No. 9'
When the 26 members of the Japan national team who were eliminated at the 2026 World Cup are ranked by their ages at the 2030 tournament, only 10 will still be 30 or under. This article visualizes the structural thinning at forward and left back, and looks ahead to the next generation of young Japanese players currently developing in Europe.
The summer of 2026 ended in frustration. But the clock of football never stops. The world will gather again in 2030 — the stage shifts to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. This article is not about looking back on that defeat. Instead, we turn our gaze four years forward, examining Japan's future through one simple question: "How old will the 26 players be in 2030?" Age doesn't determine everything. Even so, there is no more eloquent number when it comes to measuring the first yardstick of generational change.
calendar_month First, ranking all 26 players by their "age in 2030"
In this article, player ages are standardized as the age each player will turn in 2030 (= 2030 minus birth year). Given that the tournament opens in June, some players may be a year off depending on their birthday, but this measure is the clearest way to grasp the outline of each generation.
With that in mind, we divide the 26 players into two groups: "30 and under" and "31 and over." This is the author's personal view, but for attacking players — especially forwards and midfielders — the stars of four years from now should ideally be in their twenties. Their stamina, recovery, and room for growth make players in their twenties the ones best positioned to peak at WC 2026.
10 players who will be 30 or under
- GK: Suzuki Zion (28)
- DF: Sugawara Yukinari (30) / Seko Ayumu (30) / Suzuki Junnosuke (27)
- MF: Nakamura Keito (30) / Sano Kaishu (30) / Kubo Takefusa (29) / Suzuki Yuito (29)
- FW: Shiobe Kento (25) / Goto Keisuke (25)
16 players who will be 31 or over
- GK: Osako Keisuke (31) / Hayakawa Tomoki (31)
- DF: Itakura Ko (33) / Tomiyasu Takehiro (32) / Ito Hiroki (31) / Watanabe Go (33) / Taniguchi Shogo (39) / Nagatomo Yuto (44)
- MF: Doan Ritsu (32) / Tanaka Ao (32) / Kamada Daichi (34) / Endo Wataru (37) / Ito Junya (37)
- FW: Ueda Ayase (32) / Maeda Daizen (33) / Ogawa Koki (33)
arrow_upward Only 10 of the 26 players will be "30 or under"
When counted, only 10 players remain at 30 or under: 1 GK, 3 DF, 4 MF, and 2 FW. Conversely, many of the 2026 core — Itakura Ko, Tomiyasu Takehiro, Ueda Ayase, Endo Wataru, Tanaka Ao, Kamada Daichi, and others — fall into the 31-and-over group. It is simply not realistic to assume all of them will remain key figures four years from now.
local_fire_department Where will the gaps be? — The No. 9 and left back
Looking at the 10 players by position, the situations vary dramatically.
- CF (centre-forward) is the biggest concern. Ueda Ayase (32), Maeda Daizen (33), and Ogawa Koki (33) — the 2026 goal-scoring threats — all fall into the 31-and-over group. The only pure forwards remaining in their twenties are Shiobe Kento and Goto Keisuke (both 25). The striker lineage thins out, at least temporarily.
- Defensive midfield (volante) is also thin. Once Endo Wataru (37), Tanaka Ao (32), and Kamada Daichi (34) are gone, Sano Kaishu (30) will be the sole specialist holding midfielder in his twenties.
- Left back will also be vacated. If Ito Hiroki (31) and Nagatomo Yuto (44) step away, there is no obvious young specialist to take over on the left.
- On the brighter side, CB and GK are relatively secure. Young centre-backs Seko Ayumu (30) and Suzuki Junnosuke (27) will still be around, and Suzuki Zion will be 28 in 2030 — right in the prime of his career.
In short, the gaps that genuinely need to be filled ahead of 2030 come down to: a No. 9 who can score, a left back, and a second and third holding midfielder. So how many young Japanese players currently playing abroad could step into those roles? That is the next question.
star The young overseas brigade is more developed than you might think
The short answer: there is reason for hope. The depth varies by position, but the number of Japanese players in their early-to-mid twenties based in Europe during the 2025/26 season is greater than many might expect. (※ All club affiliations are as of the 2025/26 season.)
Holding Midfielder — Strong
The race to succeed Endo and Tanaka Ao is already congested.
- Fujita Joelinton Cezanne Chima (St. Pauli = Bundesliga)
- Tanaka Sou (Schalke = Germany)
- Yamamoto Michihiro (Sint-Truiden → Freiburg = Germany)
All of them will be in their late twenties in 2030. Add Sano Kaishu into the mix, and the holding midfield battle four years from now may actually be fiercely competitive.
Centre-Back — Deep
- Takai Kodai (Tottenham → Borussia MG on loan = Germany). 192 cm, the frontrunner among the Paris generation at CB.
- Ichihara Rion (AZ Alkmaar = Netherlands).
- Chase Unruh (Salzburg = Austria). A 191 cm Japanese-American.
GK — Secure
Led by Suzuki Zion, the pipeline continues with Nozawa Taishi Brandon (Antwerp = Belgium) and Kokubo Reo Brian (Sint-Truiden = Belgium) — a succession of large-framed goalkeepers gaining first-team experience in Europe.
Attacking MF / Winger — Many candidates
Kubo Takefusa (Real Sociedad = Spain) is the centrepiece. Joining him are Kitano Sota (Salzburg = Austria / born 2004), Sano Kota (NEC = Netherlands), Fukui Taichi (Arouca = Portugal), and Suzuki Yuito (Freiburg = Germany).
And then the two thinnest areas —
Left Back — Slim, but there is a frontrunner
- Kosugi Keita (Djurgården → Eintracht Frankfurt = Germany). Having moved to the Bundesliga for a transfer fee of €6.5 million, he is currently the one clear young left-back candidate. He could well be the lifeline for 2030.
No. 9 — Numbers are emerging. The question is whether anyone becomes "the real deal"
Beyond the 2026 squad members Shiobe Kento (Wolfsburg) and Goto Keisuke (Freiburg), a new wave of No. 9-type players has begun to appear in Europe.
- Fukuda Shio (Karlsruher SC = Bundesliga 2 / born 2004). A two-footed striker who went straight from high school into the Bundesliga academy system.
- Niikawa Shion (Sint-Truiden = Belgium / born 2007). An ace candidate who has publicly declared his dream of winning the Ballon d'Or.
- Onoda Ryota and Takaoka Reysa (both born 2007). Currently on formative loan spells in lower divisions in Germany and France — long-term prospects in the making.
To be honest, however, most of these "next No. 9" candidates are still at the stage of proving themselves in second divisions, reserve teams, or loan spells. Whether they can become "the real deal" — consistently scoring at the top level — depends entirely on the next four years.
sports_soccer Toward 2030: what supporters should be watching
Laying it all out like this, Japan's generational transition is far from "hopeless." At CB, holding midfield, and GK, the pipeline of youngsters developing in Europe is actually congested. At the same time, two clear homework assignments have come into focus: a striker who can score, and a left back.
The story to follow on the road to 2030 is therefore straightforward.
- Can Kubo Takefusa, Sano Kaishu, and Suzuki Zion — the bridge generation hitting the tournament at just the right age — deliver their peak performances?
- Can Kosugi Keita single-handedly resolve the left-back uncertainty?
- And can one of the "next No. 9" candidates — Niikawa Shion, Fukuda Shio, and the rest — rise from the second division or a loan deal to become a genuine goal-getter?
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be the perfect stage for answers to start emerging. Another four years has already begun in the wake of that painful summer. The names of young players worth watching are already falling into place. Starting now, it is worth keeping a close eye on their club scorelines.
The profiles of all 26 players can be revisited at the article Japan Squad Roster, and information on opponents is available on the article Japan National Team page.