November is finally here, meaning we have officially entered the 2022 FIFA World Cup month.
And with the highly-anticipated tournament, taking place in winter for the first time ever, being just a few weeks away, all the participating nations are preparing to reveal or decide their final squad for Qatar 2022.
Japan are the first team to jump the gun, announcing their 26-man squad ahead of the November 14 deadline, with their list featuring a number of recognizable names. The Blue Samurai, who were drawn into a tough group alongside Germany and Spain, have named a team featuring players who currently ply their trade in Europe's top five leagues.
One of the first names on the plan to Qatar is Takehiro Tomiyasu, the rock-solid Arsenal defender racking up rave reviews in the Premier League. Despite being a full-back, the Gunners ace often plays as a center-back for his national team and could partner veteran defender Maya Yoshida at the heart of Hajime Moriyasu's defense.
However, Yoshida isn't the only veteran to make the plane as iconic goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, one of the only surviving members from Japan's 2011 AFC Asian Cup win, also got a call-up.
In midfield, two names stand out and they are former Liverpool man Takumi Minamino and Frankfurt ace Daichi Kamada. Minamino currently plays for Monaco but despite struggling for minutes in France as well, the 27-year-old will be keen to impress while out in the Middle East. Kamada, on the other hand, is enjoying another lovely campaign, scoring 11 goals and assisting another three in his first 17 appearances for his Bundesliga club.
Further up the pitch, Real Sociedad starlet Takefusa Kubo and Celtic forward Daizen Maeda made the cut but fellow Scottish Premiership ace Kyogo Furuhashi, who has nine goals in 16 games for the Bhoys, was surprisingly snubbed.
Up-and-coming Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, who played a key role in the Seagulls' 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea over the weekend, was also named in Japan's final team. Check out the 26-man squad in full below:
Goalkeepers: Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse), Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truiden), Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg)
Defenders: Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Schalke), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield)
Midfielders: Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Junya Ito (Reims), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus)
Forwards: Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Takuma Asano (Bochum), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge)
