Saitama, Japan — Japan and Saudi Arabia go head-to-head on March 25, 2025, for a crucial World Cup qualifying match.Known as the Samurai Blue, Japan seeks to keep their unbeaten streak intact while also securing their place in the 2026 World Cup. They topped Bahrain 2-0 last Thursday, ensuring their spot in the finals.
Japan currently leads Group C, having recorded 12 wins and one draw from their qualifying matches. They’re excited to maintain their unbeaten status against tough opponents, including Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Indonesia in their remaining fixtures. Coach Hajime Moriyasu expressed confidence in his team’s performance, noting that they’ve been prolific in scoring, netting 24 goals in seven matches.
“We want to play aggressively and secure our victories in these last matches to end strong,” Moriyasu said after the victory against Bahrain.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia finds themselves in a tense situation, sitting third in Group C with only two wins from their seven qualifying games (D3, L2). Their most recent victory came against China with a score of 1-0, courtesy of a goal by Saleh Al-Dawsari.
The Green Falcons need to improve their scoring, having failed to find the net in four of their last five qualifiers. Coach Herve Renard admits the team must improve their performance if they hope to qualify for the tournament for a third consecutive time.
<p“The boys know the importance of this match for our World Cup dreams,” Renard stated during yesterday's training session.
Japan has shown strong defensive skills, keeping 11 clean sheets throughout their qualifying campaign. In contrast, Saudi Arabia has been resilient on the road, winning three of their six away matches so far.
Japan is set to miss midfielder Hidemasa Morita and forward Daizen Maeda due to injuries, with replacements being Yoshio Suzuki and Nikita Ueda expected to step up. Additionally, Daichi Kamada from Crystal Palace is pushing for a starting position after scoring in the last game.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, could be without defender Mohammed Al-Amin, who suffered a muscle injury during their last match. This could result in a lineup change, with Yasser Al-Shahrani likely to enter the starting XI.
The possible starting lineups are as follows:
Japan: Suzuki; Seko, Itakura, H. Ito; J. Ito, Endo, Tanaka, Mitoma; Kubo, Kamada; Machino.
Saudi Arabia: Al-Aqidi; Al-Shanqeeti, Tambakti, Lajami, Boushal; Al-Juwayr, Al-Ghamdi, Yahya, N. Al-Dawsari, S. Al-Dawsari; Al-Buraikan.
As both teams gear up for this pivotal match, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Japan, with their impressive record, is considered the favorite, holding an 88% probability of victory according to recent analysis. Saudi Arabia will have to harness their strengths and overcome their scoring woes to challenge their hosts effectively.
