It ended in heartbreak. Japan failed to win a World Cup knock-out game for the first time, losing to Brazil in the sixth minute of stoppage time to go out at the round of 32 stage.
A habit of losing big matches from a position of strength is an unpleasant one for Samurai Blue, but the ongoing improvement continues in spite of the brutal manner of their World Cup 2026 exit.
In a squad with many bright players with big futures ahead of them, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki might be the biggest of all.
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Suzuki was beaten by Casemiro’s header in the second half but came up with a pair of sensational saves either side of Brazil’s equaliser. The second, which denied Vinicius Jr one of the best goals at the World Cup, was every bit as good as the goal would have been.
Gabriel Martinelli won it very late for Brazil but Suzuki’s story is just getting started.
So, who is Zion Suzuki and what should you know about him?
1. He was born in the state where the World Cup final will be played
Unlike the other 25 members of Japan’s squad, Suzuki was born outside Japan. He took his first breaths in Newark, New Jersey, the home of the three-time NHL champion New Jersey Devils.
Around 10 miles from The Rock is New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, where the World Cup final will be played on Sunday, July 19.
Suzuki’s family moved to the Japanese city of Saitama.
2. He has only played eight league matches in Japan
Suzuki was raised in the former Urawa sector of Saitama and learned the game in his new home town.
The 23-year-old turned professional with the local J.League club but played only eight times in J1 for Urawa Red Diamonds. He was loaned to the Belgian side Sint-Truiden and signed for Serie A outfit Parma in 2024.
His eight senior appearances for the Reds were split across two seasons and outnumbered by matches in Japan’s Levain Cup, the equivalent of the League Cup.
3. He is a Champions League winner
Despite not being a first-team regular at Urawa, Suzuki made four appearances in the AFC Champions League in 2022.
The Reds won the title for the third time and beat Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal over two legs in the final.
Suzuki didn’t feature in either of the final legs but received a medal and became a continental champion at 20 years of age.
4. He is Parma’s second Japanese player
When he joined the Gialloblu two years ago, Suzuki followed in the footsteps of arguably the greatest footballer ever exported by Japan.
Hidetoshi Nakata, now a sake entrepreneur and still impossibly stylish, signed for Parma from Roma in 2001.
Nakata went on to play for Bologna, Fiorentina and Bolton Wanderers, and played 77 times in a decade-long senior international career.
5. He can become Japan’s most-capped goalkeeper
Suzuki is bearing down on his 30th cap and doesn’t turn 24 until August. He could feasibly play for his country for another decade and that way records lie.
Japan’s most-capped goalkeeper is Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who played 116 times for Samurai Blue before hanging up his gloves in 2010.
If Suzuki is on track to catch up with the former Yokohama F. Marinos and Portsmouth stopper, the all-time caps record of Yasuhito Endo might just be out of reach at 152 – not least with 146-cap defender Yuto Nagatomo still playing at 39.
6. He doesn’t have any competition for the number one shirt
Suzuki is the most-capped goalkeeper by far in the Japanese World Cup squad.
Keisuke Osaka and Tomoki Hayakawa have 15 appearances between them. Both are older than Suzuki and played for J1 big-hitters in Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Kashima Antlers, the reigning champions.
There are almost no caps among the other goalkeepers called up by Hajime Moriyasu. Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Alexandre Pisano, who has one cap at 20 years old, could still switch to Canada.
7. He could have played for the United States
An American citizen by birth, Suzuki was eligible to play for the United States at international level. Indeed, he was reportedly tracked by US Soccer, with the governing body keen to bring him in at youth levels.
Instead, he was a Japanese international by the under-15 stage and has continued to play for his mother’s country ever since.
Suzuki’s father is Ghanaian, making his son directly eligible for three national teams. There’s no obvious suggestion his intentions ever wavered.
8. He spent 15 years at Urawa Red Diamonds
Suzuki only played a handful of senior matches for Urawa but his association with the Reds was a long one.
He joined the club’s academy set-up at six years old and remained on the club’s books until 2024, when his permanent transfer to Emilia-Romagna was sealed.
He signed a five-year contract with the Italian club despite a previous agreement to stay with Sint-Truiden, where he was part of a succession of Japanese goalkeepers.
9. He only played 20 times in Serie A last season
He’s well established as Parma’s number one but 2025-26 wasn’t the season Suzuki would have wanted in the build-up to a major international tournament.
The goalkeeper fractured a bone in his hand while playing against AC Milan in November and missed four months of football. He featured in just 20 Serie A matches in what might have been his final season in Italy.
10. He could be on the move this summer
Suzuki’s name has been persistently linked with big European clubs in need of an upgrade or a refresh in the goalkeeper department. Chelsea and Manchester United have both been credited with an interest in the last couple of years.
Now, it’s Aston Villa and Newcastle United who are reportedly keen to acquire his services.
After a World Cup that delivered a string of high-quality saves to advance his reputation, his agent’s phone might be ringing sooner rather than later.
