06/11/26 08:10:00
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06/11 20:09 CDT Japan captain Wataru Endo is out of the World Cup and retires
from international duty
Japan captain Wataru Endo is out of the World Cup and retires from
international duty
TOKYO (AP) --- The Japan Football Association said Thursday that captain Wataru
Endo has withdrawn from the country's World Cup squad due to a foot injury.
Later the Liverpool midfielder announced his surprise retirement from
international duty.
The 33-year-old Endo posted his decision on his X account in Japanese three
days before his team's Group F opener against the Netherlands. The Japan team
has been training in Nashville, Tennessee.
"Since getting injured and up till this point, I've done everything I could and
I have no regret," said Endo, who underwent surgery on his left foot in
February. He came off at halftime on his return in Japan's 1-0 warmup match
victory against Iceland on May 31 in Tokyo.
"With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team. So from here
on, I'll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans."
National team director Masakuni Yamamoto said Ajax defender Ko Itakura has been
named the new captain, while Borussia Monchengladbach forward Shuto Machino has
been called up as a replacement for Endo.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
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