Why isn’t Kaoru Mitoma playing for Japan vs Netherlands? Brighton star misses World Cup 2026 opener

Japan began their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in Dallas, Texas, but one familiar name was missing from the team sheet. Kaoru Mitoma, one of Japan’s most important attacking players, is not part of the squad for the tournament.

The Brighton winger was expected to play a key role for Samurai Blue this summer, but a serious injury ended those hopes before the World Cup even started.

Kaoru Mitoma misses Japan vs Netherlands after hamstring injury

Kaoru Mitoma was ruled out of the World Cup in May after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for Brighton. The injury happened during Brighton’s 3-0 win over Wolves near the end of the Premier League season.The setback came at the worst possible time for both Mitoma and Japan.

The winger had been one of the team’s standout players in recent months and was expected to be a major attacking threat during the tournament.Just a few months earlier, during the March international break, Mitoma showed his importance once again. He scored the only goal of the match as Japan secured a 1-0 win over England at Wembley Stadium. That performance increased expectations that he would be one of Japan’s key players at the World Cup.

Hajime Moriyasu explains why Kaoru Mitoma was left out of Japan’s World Cup squad

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu had hoped Mitoma could recover in time to play some part in the tournament. However, after receiving medical assessments from the Japan Football Association staff, the coaching team decided not to include him in the final squad.Speaking about the decision, an emotional Moriyasu said:“After receiving a report from the JFA medical staff that it would be difficult for him to recover during the World Cup period, we decided not to include him in the squad.“He himself is the one suffering the most. In preparation for the World Cup, he pushed himself to the limit and embraced the challenge, always carrying the desire to fight for the Japan national team and raise the level of the squad.“He devoted himself completely to national team activities in his everyday work, so I truly want to thank him for all of his contributions up to this point.“With an injury as serious as this, no one is suffering more than he is.“I just hope he can take some time to settle himself mentally and return as soon as possible to a state where he feels he can play freely and wholeheartedly again.”For Japan, losing a player of Mitoma’s quality is a huge blow. His pace, creativity, and ability to change games will be missed as the team looks to make a strong start against the Netherlands and progress from Group F.