Daichi Kamada warned that Japan will not win the World Cup unless football becomes the number one sport in the country, following the painful loss to Brazil 1-2 on Monday in the Round of 32 of the 2026 edition.
The best team in Asia arrived in North America with hopes of clinching the title and was seen as one of the outside contenders to go far in the tournament.
However, Japan exited in the Round of 32, failing to achieve a victory in the knockout stages of the World Cup in five attempts.
Football in Japan competes with baseball and several other sports, and Kamada believes this needs to change if the national team wants to make progress.
The Crystal Palace player said: "To become a country with serious ambitions to lift the trophy, we need to have higher quality, and there are aspects where we still fall short."
He added: "We must continue to promote and develop Japanese football, and I feel if it doesn’t reach a level where it becomes the national sport, we will not be able to win."
Japan led Brazil in the first half but conceded an equalizer just 11 minutes into the second half.
Football in Japan competes with baseball, and Kamada believes this needs to change if they want the title (EPA).
As the match approached extra time, Gabriel Martinelli scored in the 90+5 minute to send Brazil through, leaving Japan wondering what they need to do to join the elite of the world's football powers.
Defender Shogo Taniguchi said: "It's unfortunate that we lost, but looking at the path that led to this match, and the three and a half years leading up to this World Cup, I don't think there’s anything negative, or lacking, or wrong."
He added: "This was my positivity and confidence before this tournament."
Japan easily passed the Asian World Cup qualifiers and was the first team to secure a spot in the finals.
The team also prepared with two friendly wins over Brazil and England, before injuries struck and they lost key players like Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamino, and Wataru Endo before the tournament.
Nevertheless, Japan showed impressive performances in North America, drawing with the Netherlands and Sweden and beating Tunisia, finishing second in Group F.
Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki said there is room for improvement.
Japanese disappointment after World Cup exit (EPA).
He added: "There are still aspects where we are a little naïve, and I strongly feel we need to evolve."
He continued: "I don't think approaching matches against big teams with an underdog mindset was wrong, and I believe if we continue on this path, a great scene awaits us in the end."
Japan's next challenge is the AFC Asian Cup, which begins in Saudi Arabia in January.
Japan has won the tournament four times, a record, but their last title was in 2011.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu, whose future with the team is still unclear after eight years in charge, said: "Our next tournament is the Asian Cup, and we will focus on winning it."
He added: "Even if we win the Asian Cup, I don’t think that will erase the pain of the World Cup loss."