Will Kaoru Mitoma be fit for 2026 FIFA World Cup after injury in match against Brighton?

Japanese coach Hajime Moriyasu is eagerly awaiting the fitness of top striker Kaoru Mitoma before announcing a World Cup squad on Friday.

Mitoma limped off with an apparent hamstring injury in the second half of Brighton’s 3-0 win over Wolverhampton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Mitoma, one of Japan’s standout players at the 2022 World Cup, scored in a 1-0 win over England at Wembley Stadium in March.

His World Cup tournament is on the line five weeks before Japan faces the Netherlands on June 14 in Arlington, Texas.

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«I hope it’s a minor injury. The staff said to me, ‘It doesn’t seem minor,'» Moriyasu told Japanese media on Sunday about Mitoma.

Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler said “it looked like a hamstring injury” but the club would wait for a scan to clarify the severity.

Brighton, who are in seventh place, are still in the race for Champions League qualification, with two rounds of Premier League play remaining. England could reach a record six entries.

Japan’s World Cup plans are already missing another key forward Takumi Minamino, who tore an ACL playing for Monaco in December.

Japan also plays Tunisia on June 20 in Monterrey, Mexico and then returns to Texas to play Sweden on June 25. The top two in Group F will advance to the round of 32 and the third-place team could join them as well.

Published on May 11, 2026