Fixtures · Jul 27, 2026
Opponent locked in: Japan faces Venezuela in Hiroshima on Sep 28
One of the two Kirin Challenge Cup opponents is confirmed: Japan faces Venezuela on Monday, September 28 at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, kickoff 19:25 JST. It's the second of four home friendlies this fall on the road to January's Asian Cup, and the first real look at how this squad shapes up after the World Cup. It also opens Moriyasu's farewell run of home matches, and he is framing it exactly the way you'd expect: 「日本サッカーの未来のために、貴重な一戦として勝利を目指し、全力で挑みます」, or “For the future of Japanese football, I'll give everything to win this valuable match.” And he means it. Japan's record against Venezuela is a prickly one win, three draws and a loss, and Moriyasu himself has faced them twice as a coach without a win, so the all-out talk is earned, not boilerplate. He framed the whole fall as a chance to repay the fans who have fought alongside the team. No throwaway friendly in his eyes, and it shouldn't be one in ours. The September 24 opponent in Miyagi is still TBC; we'll update the moment JFA confirms it.