Japan became the first team to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a decisive 2-0 victory against Bahrain at Saitama Stadium.
Goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo in the second half confirmed their place in the tournament.
Hajime Moriyasu’s side struggled in the first half but gained control after halftime.
Kamada, introduced as a substitute in the 63rd minute, made an immediate impact by scoring three minutes later.
His goal resulted from a well-built play initiated by Hiroki Ito, who found Ayase Ueda in midfield.
Ueda’s pass set up Kubo, who assisted Kamada for the breakthrough goal. Kubo later sealed the win in the 87th minute, beating Bahrain’s goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfallah at the near post.
With this result, Japan secured a top-two finish in Group C of the Asian qualifiers, ensuring their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance.
The top two teams in each group qualify automatically, while third and fourth-placed teams advance to playoffs.
In another Group C match, Australia boosted their qualification hopes with a 5-1 win over Indonesia.
Despite an early scare when Kevin Diks hit the post with a penalty, Australia dominated as Martin Boyle scored from the spot, Jackson Irvine added two, and Nishan Velupillay and Lewis Miller also found the net.