Japan vs Syria

Hiroshima Big Arch is the venue as Japan and Syria go head-to-head in a ‘David vs Goliath’ 2026 World Cup qualifying showdown.

Japan picked up where they left off at the beginning of this qualifying cycle, hammering Myanmar 5-0 last week to uphold their 100% win ratio in Group B. Having secured a top-table finish with two games to spare, Hajime Moriyasu’s men have no tangible target to play for in this group stage finale, though heading into the next stage without conceding a goal could be a morale-boosting achievement. Indeed, the Japanese boast an eye-catching +19 goal difference in the ongoing qualifying campaign after netting 19 unanswered goals in the opening five rounds, which includes a 5-0 thrashing of Syria on Matchday 2. That victory preserved Japan’s near-flawless H2H record against this opposition, with the ‘Samurai Blue’ winning seven of the eight previous meetings between the sides (D1).

On the other hand, Syria’s hopes of advancing into the next phase hang by a thread as they commence this final round in second, albeit only one point clear of third-placed North Korea. With the Koreans widely expected to ease past group minnows Myanmar, the Qasioun Eagles probably must achieve the unthinkable and beat Japan to keep their dreams of securing their maiden World Cup qualification alive. However, that’s easier said than done, not least because of Syria’s dreadful away record in Group B (D1, L1), accompanied by a single goal scored. It’s hard to imagine Hector Cuper’s side bucking that trend in Hiroshima after losing their last three competitive encounters against Japan by 3+ goals ‘to nil.’