Yuto Nagatomo is among Japan's squad for the next world championship. For the former Nerazzurri player, in Milan from 2011 to 2018 where he made 210 appearances with the Inter shirt, it is the fifth World Cup call-up. An achievement which, at the age of 39, was welcomed with enormous emotion and pride by the defender. The video in which Nagatomo receives the notification of the summons quickly went viral on social media. As soon as the defender, now playing for FC Tokyo, learned that he was on the Japanese selection list, he burst into emotional tears. Even at almost 40 years old and after 4 world editions, the joy of representing one's country is the same as the first time.
Quattro partecipazioni...più una
Nagatomo has already participated in four editions of the World Cup with his Japan: he was among the protagonists of the 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions. The defender helped his team achieve the best result ever achieved by the Japanese in the event, the round of 16, achieved in 2010, 2018 and 2022.
I convocati del Giappone
This is the list of Japanese players called up for the World Cup which will be held starting from June 11th. The Japanese have been drawn in group F and will therefore have to face Holland, Sweden and Tunisia in the group stage of the tournament.
GOALKEEPERS: Zion Suzuki (Parma), Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers). DEFENDERS: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden), Ko Itakura (Ajax), Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax), Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich), Ayumu Seko (Le Havre), Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen). MIDFIELDS: Junnosuke Suzuki (Copenhagen), Wataru Endo (Liverpool), Junya Ito (Stade Reims), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Ao Tanaka (Leeds United), Keito Nakamura (Stade Reims), Kaishu Sano (Mainz), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Yuito Suzuki (Brøndby).
FORWARDERS: Koki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord), Kento Shiogai (NEC Nijmegen), Keisuke Goto (Anderlecht).