On Monday, June 8 at 6 p.m. CT, Japan’s national soccer team — the Samurai Blue — will hold an open training session at Nashville Stadium (Geodis Park), followed by a media mixed zone with players. Nashville Total Sports and Nashville Noticias will be on the ground covering the event.

Japan has chosen Nashville as its official base camp for FIFA World Cup 2026™, training at Nashville SC’s facility in Antioch between Group F matches. This is the most exclusive local angle in the entire tournament for this city — and we will be there to cover it.

Japan arrives ranked 18th in the world, making its eighth consecutive World Cup appearance. Coach Hajime Moriyasu has assembled a squad packed with players from Europe’s top leagues, led by some of the most recognizable names in Asian football. Here is every player, exactly as submitted to FIFA.

Japan draws Group F alongside the Netherlands (ranked 7th), Sweden (38th), and Tunisia (44th). They open on June 14 in Dallas against the Dutch — one of the hardest first matches in the tournament. Japan has reached the knockout stage four times but has never moved past the round of 16. This squad believes it can change that.

The Japan Football Association chose Nashville deliberately. Nashville SC’s training facility in Antioch offers top-level infrastructure, and Nashville’s growing soccer culture made it the right fit. The Samurai Blue will call this city home during the tournament — that is a distinction no other city shares in quite the same way.

Monday June 8 is our first chance to see them in person. After the open training session, the media mixed zone opens at 7 p.m. CT — a direct opportunity to speak with the players who will represent Japan on the world stage. Follow all coverage on NashvilleTotalSports.com and NashvilleNoticias.com.