Returning Junya Ito ready to lead Japan to another World Cup

Japan winger Junya Ito was eager to make his return to the national team as the Samurai Blue’s 27-man squad prepared for the upcoming final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which begins at home against China on Thursday.

The 31-year-old Reims player was named in Hajime Moriyasu’s squad last week for the first time since prosecutors declined to press charges against him for non-consensual sex after accusations led to his withdrawal from the Asian Cup in February.

The Japan Football Association said in its latest roster announcement that Ito’s recall was not related to his failure to face charges.

“I’m really happy and I want to contribute to the team,” Ito said after training with his teammates on Tuesday.

“I was relieved. I understand that until this problem was resolved, there would have been difficulties (in recalling me).”

On August 1, Ito filed a criminal complaint against five people, including two women and an editor of the weekly Shukan Shincho, for alleged defamation.

Due to a lack of evidence, prosecutors decided on Aug. 9 not to charge Ito following a criminal complaint over the incident that allegedly occurred in June last year and involved the women.

Ito thanked manager Moriyasu for staying in touch with him even when he was not selected.

“He kept in touch with me and told me every time, ‘I’m not choosing you this time because I want to protect you.’ I understood that too,” Ito said.

The sprinter’s return is a timely boost for Japan as they seek to avoid a disastrous start to qualifying for the 2022 World Cup finals when they lost two of their first three matches, including the opener.

Ito then came to his country’s rescue, scoring in four consecutive games to get his team back on track.

“We made it difficult for ourselves (last time). This time we will try to win hands down in the first game and start the campaign in good shape,” Ito said.

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