Wataru Endo bids adieu to international football

Wataru Endo, captain of the Japan men’s national football team, has bid goodbye to international football under unfortunate circumstances.

The Liverpool midfielder sustained a left foot and ankle injury in February while on club duty and had been in recovery, hoping to be ready for the World Cup. He was selected for Japan’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, but that very injury caused a setback before the tournament began, leading to his withdrawal from the squad. Now, he has shocked the nation by announcing his retirement from international football.

Here, we take a look at the early days of Endo’s career, his international journey, and his time as leader of the Japan national team.

Early days and club career

Wataru Endo was born in Yokohama and started his career as a centre-forward before evolving into a defensive midfielder.

Endo’s youth career started in 2010 in his home country at the Shonan Bellmare youth academy. There he honed his skills for about five years before moving to J1 League side Urawa Red Diamonds in 2016. He found success in terms of major silverware with the Urawa Reds, 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 roped in by Sint-Truiden of the Belgian Pro League. This is where he finally moved into a defensive midfield role. Endo was then loaned to Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart in 2019. He made his move to the German club permanent in 2020 and became a cornerstone at the club, helping them achieve promotion and going on to become club captain.

His big move arrived in the summer of 2023, when Premier League giants Liverpool signed him under legendary coach Jürgen Klopp. Endo earned major silverware at Anfield as well, winning the League Cup in 2023/24 and the Premier League title in 2024/25.

International career

Endo’s international career began in 2015, when he joined the Japan 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, Endo was selected for the squad but didn’t get to play a single game at the World Cup. He 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 their games, helping his side to historic victories over Germany and Spain en route to the pre-quarterfinals.

Due to his exceptional leadership skills and tenacity, Endo was handed the captain’s armband in June 2023. He has since captained Japan 19 times. Endo was also selected for the Japan squad for the 2026 World Cup, before withdrawing due to a setback in recovery from an earlier foot injury sustained while plying his trade for Liverpool in February 2026.

Ahead of Japan’s opening World Cup fixture against the Netherlands, Wataru Endo announced his withdrawal from the World Cup and his retirement from international football via social media, calling time on an 11-year international career, during which he played 73 games, scored four goals, qualified for three World Cups, and was bestowed with the honour of captaining his country.

Leadership for Japan

Wataru Endo has been a vital part of the Japanese national team ever since joining the setup. His versatility, reading of the game, tenacity, and leadership skills have endeared him to his teammates. Even when Endo wasn’t the team captain, he assisted the team as a leader 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.

Under his captaincy, Japan became the highest-ranked Asian country, currently sitting in 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 will have to watch from the sidelines instead of being on the pitch. At 33, he would’ve been aware that playing at the next World Cup may not be feasible, which is why he decided to announce his retirement, making way for young talent to come in and establish themselves ahead of the next edition.

Endo may still feature at club level for a few more years, but he is indeed leaving the national team at the right time, having 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 in the coming years and compete with iconic footballing nations on 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 shown so many times for both club and country.