Endo bids adieu to international football

Japan’s National football team captain Wataru Endo has bid goodbye to football in unfortunate circumstances. The Liverpool midfielder had sustained a left foot and ankle injury in February 2026 on club duty and had been recovering to be ready for the World Cup. He had been selected for Japan’s World cup squad but unfortunately, the same injury caused a setback before the beginning of their World Cup campaign which led to his withdrawal from the squad and also resulted in a shocking retirement from international football. 

Here we take a look at his early days, his international career and his leadership for Japan – 

Early Days and Club Career 

Wataru Endo was born in Yokohama, Japan and initially started as a goal scoring centre-forward before evolving into a defensive midfielder. 

Wataru Endo’s youth career started in his home country at the Shonan Bellmare youth academy in 2010. He honed his skills at the club for about five years before moving to the J league club Urawa Red Diamonds in 2016. He found success in terms of major silverware at Urawa Red Diamonds, winning the league title in 2016 and the AFC Champions League in 2017. 

Endo’s performances were noticed by European clubs and in 2019 he was bought by Sint-Truiden in the Belgian Pro League and this is where he finally moved into a defensive midfield role. Endo was then loaned to Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart in 2019. He made the transfer permanent to the German club in 2020 and became the cornerstone of the club, helping them achieve promotion and becoming the club captain as well . 

His big move happened in the summer of 2023 when Premier League giants Liverpool signed him under legendary coach Jurgen Klopp. Endo earned major silverware here too, winning the league cup in 2023/24 and a Premier League title in the 2024/25 season with the Merseyside Reds. 

International Career 

Endo’s Japan career began in 2015 when he joined the Blue Samurai squad for the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup. He made his debut against North Korea, a match that Japan lost. After Japan qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he was selected for the squad but didn’t get to play a single game at the World Cup. Endo was in the Japan squad again at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where Japan reached the Round of 16. This time around Endo featured in all games, helping his side to historic victories over Germany and Spain and reaching the Round of 16. 

Due to his exceptional leadership skills and tenacity, Endo was handed the captain’s armband in June 2023. He has captained the side in 19 appearances. Endo was also selected for the Japan squad for the 2026 World Cup but he had to withdraw as he suffered a setback in recovery for an earlier foot injury sustained for his club Liverpool in February 2026. 

Ahead of their opening fixture against Netherlands, Wataru Endo announced his withdrawal from the World Cup as well as announced his retirement from international football on 12th June 2026 through social media. Endo called time on an 11-year international career, having played 73 games, scored four goals, qualified for three World Cups and being bestowed the honour of captaining his country. 

Leadership for Japan

Wataru Endo has been a vital part of the Japanese National team since his arrival. His versatility, reading of the game, tenacity and leadership skills endeared him to all his teammates. Even when Endo wasn’t the team captain, he assisted the team as a captain without the armband. He marshalled the midfield and the backline as a deep lying defensive midfielder, helping his team battle against superior sides. Although he wasn’t the most flashy or eye-catching player, he was one of the most important and most respected in a Japan side that qualified for three straight World Cups during his tenure. 

Under his captaincy, Japan became the highest-ranked Asian country, currently sitting at 15th place in the FIFA World rankings. It’s a shame that Endo wouldn’t be able to lead his country at the 2026 World Cup and would have to watch from the sidelines instead of being on the pitch and fighting against tough opponents. Being 33 years old already, he may have been aware that playing in the next World Cup would not be possible and hence he decided to announce his retirement, making way for young talent to come in and establish themselves in the Blue Samurai Squad. 

Endo may still feature at club level for a few more years but he is indeed leaving the national team at the right time as he has helped solidify Japan’s position in world football. With a prospering J League and new talented players coming up, the Japan National Team will look to dominate Asian football for the upcoming years and also compete with iconic footballing nations at the grandest stage of all. 

We still wish to see Endo recover as soon as possible and ply his trade at club level, showcasing the same tenacity, mentality and fight that he has done so many times for both club and country.