Moriyasu Watch · Jul 24, 2026
Miyamoto explains the six-month call: JFA seriously discussed a foreign coach before choosing continuity
Turns out we almost lost him. 💔 At his press conference the day after the board made it official, JFA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto walked reporters through how the succession plan actually came together, and for the first time admitted the JFA seriously discussed replacing Moriyasu with a foreign coach. Back in March, the plan was simply for him to lead the team through the World Cup and no further, full stop. It was only in May that JFA leadership circled back and asked whether he'd stay through the Asian Cup instead. Miyamoto confirmed there was an actual list of outside candidates on the table. In the end, the JFA looked at what Moriyasu has actually built, eight years of growth, a World Cup knockout run, a squad that plays with his fingerprints all over it, and decided tearing it down for a fresh face wasn't worth it. It stings that it was ever a real question. But the right call got made, and the man who's earned this gets to finish it on his own terms. One more tournament. Let's send him off loud in Riyadh. 🔵🌊🇯🇵⚽️