The Japan Women’s World Cup 2023 squad are into the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Right now, Japan are many people’s favourites to go all the way. They’ve won all four games convincingly, including a 4-0 demolition of Spain in the final group game, backing that up with a 3-1 win over Norway in the second round.
Under former youth team coach Futoshi Ikeda, someone who knows many of the talented youngsters in the squad, Nadeshiko has found a unique way of playing, with their forwards creating the chances and their midfielders finishing them off.
It’s led to Hinata Miyazawa leading the Golden Boot race with five goals so far, breaking forward from the middle of the park, while lead striker Mina Tanaka has three assists to her name as she and Aoba Fujino constantly drop deep to draw out the opposition defence.
It’s a tried and tested method which hasn’t been stopped yet and such is the ease the likes of Yui Hasegawa, Fuka Nagano, Jun Endo and co are making things look, it’s hard to know which nation will be able to deny them a second world title. They’ve scored 17 goals in their four games and have scored seven of their last eight shots on target, such is the efficiency and calmness in front of goal.
Down the other end, they’ve kept things tight, being breached only by Guro Reiten’s header in the last round. The back three of Minami, Takahashi and the experienced Saki Kumagai has been the base for their success, but they face a tough quarter-final against the highest ranked nation left in the tournament in Sweden.
Japan Women's World Cup 2023 squad
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Japan Women's World Cup 2023 squad
GK: Ayaka Yamashita (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
GK: Momoka Tanaka (Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
GK: Chika Hirao (Albirex Niigata)
DF: Risa Shimizu (West Ham)
DF: Moeka Minami (Roma)
DF: Saki Kumagai (Roma)
DF: Shiori Miyake (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
DF: Kiko Seike (Urawa Reds)
DF: Miyabi Moriya (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
DF: Rion Ishikawa (Urawa Reds)
MF: Fuka Nagano (Liverpool)
MF: Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai)
MF: Hiraku Naomoto (Urawa Reds)
MF: Jun Endo (Angel City)
MF: Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City)
MF: Hina Sugita (Portland Thorns)
MF: Honoka Hayashi (West Ham)
MF: Aoba Fujino (Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
MF: Hana Takahashi (Urawa Reds)
FW: Riko Ueki (Tokyo Verdy Beleza)
FW: Remina Chiba (JEF United)
FW: Mina Tanaka (INAC Kobe Leonessa)
FW: Maika Hamano (Hammarby)
Japan manager
Japan Women's World Cup squad 2023: Who is Japan manager?
Futoshi Ikeda is a former defender who has managed throughout the Japanese national team system. Previously a coach of their U17 and U20 women’s team, he became head coach of the senior team in 2021.
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Top scorers
Who's scored for France?
Five goals
Hinata Miyazawa
Two goals
Mina Tanaka
Riko Ueki
One goal
Jun Endo
Aoba Fujino
Hikaru Naomoto
Risa Shimizu
Japan Women's World Cup 2023 squad: How many players are Japan allowed to take to the World Cup 2023?
The Japan Women’s World Cup squad will be made up of 23 players. Despite requests from some countries to extend the squad sizes, as was done with Men’s World Cup in Qatar, they will be limited to a smaller squad of just 23.
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Jessy Parker Humphreys is a freelance women's football writer. A Chelsea fan, Jessy has been following the women's game since being taken to the 2003/04 FA Cup final at Loftus Road and seeing Arsenal thrash Jessy's local side Charlton. Fortunately, Arsenal don't win quite as much as they used to – although Jessy hopes Charlton will also be back at the top of the women's game one day.
